A Seed of Hope
by BlueVanilla79
Summary: When Berry Bitty City suffers from a severe drought, the lives of Strawberry Shortcake and her friends are placed in grave danger. However, there is one cure that will repair the quaint town, but they must move to Berry Big City to try to attain it from Princess Berrykin's long lost sister. With this new strict ruler on their tracks, will the girls' efforts prove to be ineffective?
1. The Drought

**Author's Note: Hello, readers, welcome to the first installment of my new Strawberry Shortcake fan fiction series. ****Before you ****begin reading, I ****would ****like ****to clarify a few ****things.**

**1. Disclaimer: I do not own the Strawberry Shortcake franchise. All rights go to their respectful owners.**

**2. This story takes place in the present version of Strawberry Shortcake, but instead, she and her friends are young adults.**

**3. I decided to make Princess Berrykin a human instead of a Berrykin simply because the story works out better that way. After all, she _was_ a ****human ****i****n the original ****1980s series.**

**4. This story is rated "Teen" due to some violence, but aside from that, there is not any inappropriate content in the ****story.**

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><p>She rolled over in the soft green grass, the loose bits of sediment slipping between her toes. The cool breeze whispered in her ear and ruffled the locks in her long red hair. Flowers of every color decorated the open field with their array of hues, and large oak trees overhung the area, casting a great shadow before her. In front of her were her friends, who were taking in every bit of sunshine, filling her ears with their familiar laughter. She could tell they were content with life, and as was she; she was at peace, even. Life was sweet in Berry Bitty City, there was no doubt. Each day was unique in its own way with its own set of adventures. But that seemed a lifetime ago.<p>

Strawberry Shortcake awoke only to find herself in her own bed. She squinted against the golden sunlight streaming through her curtains and scratched at her scalp. It had only been a dream, just a mere fantasy. She hated herself for falling for this trick again, for she awoke from this same dream every morning since the tragedy.

Berry Bitty City wasn't a land flowing with fresh water and honey-at least not anymore. In fact, most of the town had decayed and rotted, and not a single drop of water sprinkled the soil in two months. Because it was the middle of summer, the sweltering heat made for uncomfortable working conditions for the Berrykins, so Strawberry and her friends had to help them at the Berry Works everyday to complete the required tasks. Resources were scarce, so the town had to make do with the few resources that it had left. With the growing problems in Berry Bitty City, life there became nearly unbearable.

Strawberry slipped from beneath her bed covers, planting her two bare feet against the cool wooden floor. She walked towards her window and drew back the curtains, and fear sent a chill up the back of her spine.

The town was in an even worse state than it had been the day before: nearly the entire berry patch was a crispy brown and shriveling to pieces. The remaining life in the berries was gone; they crinkled from their lack of nourishment and fell off their stems to their death. A piece broke from Strawberry's heart whenever another berry lost its life: no berries meant no food, and if she and the others continued to live in these unfit conditions, they wouldn't be alive much longer themselves. On the other hand, the Berrykins were doing their best to harvest the remaining glimmerberries, but even those were becoming scarce. The juice in glimmerberries provided electricity for the whole town, so if they were to become extinct in their area, there would be no use in trying to save Berry Bitty City: no food, no water, and no power basically made for a dead town. Strawberry, her friends, and all of the other citizens would have to abandon it and look elsewhere to live.

Strawberry tried to pry the horrifying thoughts from her mind and stepped away from the window, remembering to draw the curtains first. Leaving them open only reminded her of the tragedies that plagued the town.

She completed her daily morning tasks before heading downstairs. When she reached the bottom step to her café, Custard and Pupcake bolted towards her, both of them whimpering.

"Aw, are you guys hungry? I'm sorry, I must have slept in longer than I'd intended. Here, let me make you some breakfast."

Custard and Pupcake eagerly followed their owner as she made her way to the cabinets. Strawberry opened one of the cupboards only to find one can of dog food and one can of cat food sitting amongst cobwebs.

"Well... it looks like we're almost out of food. I'll have to buy some more from Orange Blossom later today."

Strawberry removed the cans from the space, popped them open, and placed them on the floor for her pets. The puppy and kitty were hesitant before they decided to eat their meals.

Once they were settled, Strawberry was on the hunt for her own breakfast. The refrigerator was empty except for a drop of expired milk and a single egg that mocked her when she opened its carton. The loaf of bread that she tried to preserve from last week was molding in its pack on the corner of the counter.

Strawberry sighed to herself. Since the devastating drought hit Berry Bitty City, the town began to suffer economically as well. Although it was tourist season, tourists often avoided the town because of its unbecoming appearance. As a result, business became slow, and Strawberry and her friends started to experience a lack of income. The effects of the drought were so harsh that most days they didn't know from where their next meal was coming. They tried to limit the amount of items they purchased from one another in an attempt to save their money- however, their plan was hardly effective.

With resignation, Strawberry decided to skip breakfast for the third time that week. Even though her stomach objected, she tried to swallow the pang of hunger down as best she could, but she knew that nothing would suppress it more than a meal.

She exited her café and entered the afflicted town. When she checked her mailbox, she found yet another bill inside that charged an outrageous amount of money. Strawberry knew that Princess Berrykin was charging an excessive amount of cash for the benefit of the town, but she hoped that the princess would realize that her plan was hurting the town more than it was helping it.

Seeing that the clock was striking nine, she shoved the envelope back into her mailbox and hastily ran to the Berry Works.

Every weekday at nine o'clock, Strawberry and her friends were required to help the berrykins search for another source of water. Strawberry had heard another rumor that the berrykins were also searching for a fabled Preservation Soil, but considering that a soil that can repair the damages of dead plant life sounded highly unrealistic, she decided to not put her faith in something that probably didn't exist.

As she neared the entrance of the Berry Works, she saw that her friends were already there, toiling the cracked dirt with their tarnished shovels and wiping the sweat off their brows in the process. Immediately, she felt guilty because she always found herself arriving to work late while they were already slaving away.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning," her friends called unanimously, continuing to dig the soil.

A distraught Princess Berrykin approached the girls: the usually vibrant tint of green in her wide eyes appeared abnormally grayed today. She looked unusually tired, as if she hadn't slept for nights, and seemed to stare into space.

"Princess, I apologize for being tardy...again. I can't seem to keep myself from over-sleeping these days," Strawberry explained as she picked up her shovel.

"I can't seem to get any sleep at all lately." Princess Berrykin gripped her scepter with both hands before adding, "Berrykin Phil didn't make it last night."

In horror, the girls spun around to face her. "_What_?"

"It's the drought - the heat is making the berrykins dehydrated, and if we don't find another source of water soon, I'm afraid the same will happen to you girls."

Though they didn't want to admit it, they knew that what the princess said was true. While they were able to endure the sweltering heat longer than the berrykins, the near one hundred degree temperatures still posed as a threat to their lives, especially since they were working eight to ten hours a day with hardly any shade. For the past few days, Raspberry Torte had complained of feeling light-headed, and Blueberry Muffin easily suffered from heat exhaustion due to her pale complexion. Strawberry was afraid that if she and her friends continued to work in these dangerous conditions, they would eventually end up like Berrykin Phil - dead.

"There is not much more that we can do," the princess continued. "If we are going to make it out of this alive, we need to start searching for a new home as soon as possible. The longer we stay here, the more susceptible we are to danger."

Strawberry opened her mouth to protest but decided against it, for she knew that Princess Berrykin was indeed correct. If the berry patch surrounding Berry Bitty City were to completely die out and collapse, they would be in plain sight for the world to see. Worse, if an intruder were to enter the town, he or she could potentially destroy the town and everyone living in it, and that was not something that they wanted to risk. Strawberry had heard reports of close calls of these individuals being around Acorn Acres, but fortunately they were only children. Generally, though, these people were dangerous.

"I understand why you're concerned, Princess, but we can't just give up. We've lived in Berry Bitty City for far too long for it to come to this," Strawberry finally said.

When the other girls remained silent, Lemon Meringue added, "I agree with Strawberry: we can't give up on saving our home. What if we use the extra juice to call Cherry and see if she can help?"

"We probably shouldn't. You know she's on tour now, and we shouldn't make her cancel the rest of it just to help us dig holes in the ground. Besides, we can't afford to waste any electricity for her to just turn us down. But I think Huck might be able to help; I know that it'll require the same amount of power to call him, but at least he'll most likely be able to come," Blueberry commented.

"Figures that you would suggest we contact him instead of Cherry if we were given one precious phone call." Orange Blossom thrust her shovel into the earth with such ferocity that Strawberry nearly jumped.

"I'm trying to be _reasonable_, for your information," Blueberry snapped back.

Cherry Jam and Huckleberry Pie were close friends of Strawberry and the others, but they often remained distant due to their busy schedules. Cherry was a famous pop singer, one of the most sought-after celebrities in the bitty world. When she met Strawberry and her friends five years back, she instantly felt welcomed by them and the rest of the citizens residing in Berry Bitty City and had taken it upon herself to take a break from the lime light to spend time with them. Recently, though, she was called back to the big city to expand her career by going on a world tour. She had left Berry Bitty City at the beginning of the year, just months before the depressing drought occurred, and that was the last the girls had seen of her.

On the other hand, Huckleberry Pie lived in the big city as well, but he ran a pet shelter. Initially intended to be solely a dog shelter, _Huck's Home for __Homeless Pets _began to accommodate other species of animals when Berry Big City reached a record high of the area that was the most-populated with stray animals wandering the streets. At first the girls had to get used to him considering that he was the only guy in Berry Bitty City, but once they got to know him, he became one of their closest friends. He identified the most with Blueberry, and over the years the two of them had developed such a close friendship that they were practically inseparable. Whenever he had to return to his job in Berry Big City, they would conduct daily video chats with one another online. However, like Cherry, the girls hadn't seen him in the two months following the tragedy.

"I don't think calling Cherry or Huck here will make a bit of difference. I mean, who are we kidding? We've dug for weeks and we still haven't found anything. So having two more pairs of hands will magically find us another source of water?" Plum heaped a large mound of dirt onto a pile and wiped her sticky forehead.

"She has a point: is it even worth it? I mean, if we were going to find something we would have found it by now," Orange inquired.

"The best thing to do is to stay optimistic. We don't want to ruin our chances of finding a remedy for the town by having a negative outlook on the situation," Strawberry said as she stuck her shovel into the thick, cracked dirt.

"But I'm tired of doing this; I feel like we could be doing something worthwhile with our lives instead of just putting holes in the ground. Do you know how much I long to teach another dance class?"

"Yes, just as much as I long to start baking again, but I'm sure this will be worth it in the end. Raspberry, are you okay?"

Since the start of the conversation, Raspberry Torte had abandoned her position and had begun to lean against one of the dead berry stalks. She appeared a sickly yellow and pressed a hand against her forehead.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I'm just having another dizzy spell."

Plum tossed her shovel onto the ground. "This isn't worth it; we're practically making ourselves sick from working so hard."

Strawberry noticed that Plum had become very irritable since the six of them started working at the Berry Works and pondered on whether or not if it was another symptom of heat exhaustion. The way that she crinkled her eyebrows and how she angrily handled her shovel were foreign to her usually jocose personality.

"But we can't let down the princess," Strawberry whispered, her voice growing harsh.

"No, Strawberry, she is right: I _have_ been working you all too hard. If we have not found another source of water by now, we most likely never will," Princess Berrykin inserted.

"You girls can take the rest of the day off. We are finished digging holes for now."

Strawberry stared at her in disbelief. "But...are you sure?"

"Yes; it is high time that we move to Plan B. Meet me in my office tomorrow morning at seven o'clock sharp, and _do not _be late." Princess Berrykin spun on her heel and walked away before the girls could ask her any further questions.

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><p>As night approached the quaint town of Berry Bitty City and darkness began to engulf its entirety, the girls decided to meet at Strawberry's marketplace for dinner. On most evenings during the past two months, dinner for the girls composed of whatever they could salvage from their refrigerators, and since Strawberry didn't have any food besides a few slices of moldy bread, she refrained from offering her friends anything to eat.<p>

"So why do you think the princess wants us to meet her in her office tomorrow morning?" Blueberry asked as she unwrapped the clear packaging of her stale corn muffin.

"You don't think she's considering selling the town, do you?" Lemon cupped her hands over her eyes.

Orange leaned forward and placed her half-empty glass on the table. "Not with the state that this place is in. She's probably just going to strategize another plan to look for more resources. What do you think, Strawberry?"

"I honestly don't know what to expect. She could be planning to take down what's left of the town and start over, or she could be considering to sell it, like Lemon suggested."

The girls sat in silence a few moments longer before Raspberry added, "Well, I hope they have a funeral for poor Berrykin Phil. He didn't deserve to die."

For the rest of their time together, neither one of the girls spoke another word. Instead, they only sat and nibbled on what was left of their "meal" and passively thought of the day's events.

The night grew darker still, and before they realized the hour, the town's clock struck eight, which meant that the berrykins were about to cut off the electricity. They did so every night to conserve what little power Berry Bitty City had left, and when they did, everyone was required to go to the safety of their homes to keep away from whatever might be lurking in the shadows. One by one the lights shut off, and everything around the girls became pitch black except for the slight glow coming from the crescent moon.

In a panic, the girls jumped from their seats.

"Goodness, I didn't realize it was this late." Strawberry started gathering the glass plates off the table, nearly dropping them in the process.

"I should really be heading home now, so I'll see you tomorrow. 'Bye, y'all!" Plum turned around the corner, running towards the direction of her dance studio.

Within seconds, the rest of Strawberry's friends had disappeared before she even finished gathering her dishes. She went to the upstairs apartment in her marketplace and let her glass plates slip from her hands and crash onto the wooden floor, not caring that they broke as they smashed against the ground. She collapsed to her knees beneath the skylight; hot tears welled up in her eyes, which she tried to suppress but couldn't hold back. As she fought to keep them down, they only seemed to rise higher until at last they began to roll down her warm cheeks. She cried out in despair: never had she felt so frustrated, so alone. So _helpless_.

She felt her life falling apart piece by piece, and the more it crumbled, the worse she felt. Her home was in ruins, and there was nothing she could do to fix it, no matter how hard she tried. She and her friends were slowly becoming ill and malnourished, and with their condition, it was only a matter of time before they were in Berrykin Phil's state. Plus, she and her friends were nearly penniless, so even if they did find a remedy for their lost cause, they probably wouldn't have been able to afford it.

Worst of all, because she didn't have any family, Strawberry felt that she didn't have anyone to complain to about her problems. She never knew who her parents were or what had happened to them, and in addition, she'd never heard of her having any aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents. Day and night, she constantly wondered about her mother and father's whereabouts and had gone as far as questioning her own existence, but she could never find a sufficient, plausible answer to her question. Although her friends were like family to her, she could never convince herself to go to them for help: she knew that they had always depended on her, and if she suddenly came to them with her problems, she was afraid that they would lose the little remainder of hope that they had left. With her strong asset of tenacity, they always looked to her as their source of assurance during stressful situations. But if they knew that she secretly had less hope than they had concerning the situation with the drought, she was afraid that their lives would become truly chaotic.

Strawberry threw the broken pieces of glass against the blackness of the walls, the shards cutting the palms of her hands in the process. Small drops of blood oozed out the slits they had created, but she didn't care. She fell onto her bed into the solitude of night, hoping that the day ahead would be brighter than the last.

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><p><strong>I'll post more chapters soon if I receive positive feedback on my story. If you want to read more of this series, please let me know - it encourages me <strong>

**to keep ****writing it. Anyway, I hope you liked the first chapter! ~Bluevanilla79**


	2. Plan B

_The sun kissed her face as she danced under the golden leaves overhanging __the meadow..._

Strawberry awoke with a jolt, placing her hand to her forehead and discovering that she'd broken into a cold sweat.

"Goodness!" she hissed under her breath.

These fantasy dreams she awoke from every morning seemed to have a negative effect upon her as if they were nightmares. They infuriated her because they made telling a dream from reality very difficult for her, and so she preferred to keep them buried in the back of her mind.

Strawberry removed her hand from her sweat-slicken forehead, noticing the puffy scars from the shards the night before. She sighed to herself and now regretted breaking her favorite dishes. She lowered her palm to her lap, gaping at the chaos that had once been her bedroom. As she recalled from the previous night, the last remnants of her plates were strewn across the floor; however, in addition to that, her once beautiful lilac curtains were now haphazardly strung on their rods, and a thick layer of dust coated every piece of furniture she owned.

_How long has it been since I've slept in here_? Strawberry pondered, and she stretched and slowly climbed out of her bed. She glanced at the pear-shaped clock on her wall. Its vine-shaped hands read that the time was seven-fifteen - she was supposed to meet the princess in her office at seven o'clock.

"Oh muffin crumbs, I'm late for Princess Berrykin's meeting!"

With a giant leap, Strawberry ran to her dresser and hurriedly threw on a fresh t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. She tied her ruby hair into a messy ponytail and bolted towards the door, nearly stumbling in the process. Nearing the Berry Works, she could see the distant image of her friends growing closer as she approached them, noting that they sat on pedestals outlining the princess' gate with a sign of irritability written upon their faces. When Strawberry got a closer look at them, they appeared disgruntled and tired, and most of the girls seemed to be in the same state as she, with their hair sloppily pulled out of their faces and dark circles lining the area beneath their eyes.

Strawberry stopped to catch her breath. "I'm so sorry that I'm late. What time is it?"

"Seven-thirty. It's _seven-thirty_, Strawberry. We were supposed to start the meeting half an hour ago," Blueberry crankily snapped.

"I know, and again I apologize, but-"

"Try telling that to the princess. When she saw that you weren't here, she was pretty ticked off," Orange added.

Strawberry sheepishly held down her head, intertwining her fingers through the curlicue design of the gate. The gate rusted from old age, the strawberry-shaped centerpiece being nothing more than a tarnished emblem. Over time, weeds sprung from the ground and looped themselves through the crevices of the design.

"So... if she was that angry about my absence, why didn't she start the meeting without me?" she finally asked.

"No one knows; for some reason, she refused to let any of us in until you arrived."

Just then, the creaky doors of the gate departed, and Princess Berrykin emerged from behind them with a sense of urgency about her. She gripped her scepter tighter than usual, and to the girls' surprise, her once neat curly hair was now a matted mess.

"Girls, come in - quickly now!" Without offering any time for questioning, she slipped back into the entrance expecting Strawberry and the others to follow her.

The doors swung behind them, and the girls were led along a narrow dirt path surrounded by various rose bushes, most of which managed to still contain fairly healthy flowers despite the drought, and eventually they approached a gazebo that lay ahead of them. Grand cedar trees branched over the area, offering a relief from the sweltering heat that interfered with the rest of Berry Bitty City. Likewise, the air was perfumed with the fresh scent of honeysuckles, contrary to the spoiled food-smelling odor that filtered through the rest of the town. Strawberry took in the somewhat breathtaking view, noting that this was the first time she'd seen a flourishing garden in a month and a half. However, even these plants were beginning to suffer from the immense heat, as she could tell from the wilting rosebuds.

"Take a seat, please," the princess ordered, sitting in the chair behind her extravagant leaf desk. The girls obeyed, and when she noticed them eyeing the various folders and documents she had neatly stacked in a pile, she added, "I assume you're all wondering why I've called you here."

Strawberry exchanged looks with the others. "Uh, yes, your highness, I suppose that's about correct."

Princess Berrykin shuffled through her papers. "As you girls should recall from yesterday, I told you that we would move to Plan B."

The girls gulped when the princess didn't say anything else. She seemed to let the thought of anticipating what she was going to say next marinate in their minds.

Finally, Lemon asked, "So...what _is_ Plan B?"

Princess Berrykin spread her papers before her, checking to make sure they were all there. "I'm sending you girls to live in Berry Big City," she replied.

The girls stared at her in disbelief with their eyes bugged and their mouths agape. _Move_ to Berry Big City? Nonsense! In contrast to Berry Bitty City, which was the smallest community in existence, Berry Big City was the largest city in the bitty world. Inhabited by the latest celebrities and moguls, the city was big on fame and wealth but small on morals and values. Strawberry often heard Cherry complain of how much she hated it and how she didn't recommend anyone to move there.

"B-but how? And why? We don't have enough money to make such a move, and we can't just abandon Berry Bitty City!" Strawberry's vision spun before her, her brain unable to decipher the situation at hand.

"We may as well face the truth, girls: there isn't a thing we can do to save the town on our own. We have searched high and low for another source of water and we still haven't found one, and you know that. The only way we can save Berry Bitty City is if we can convince my sister to sell us some of her Preservation Soil."

The girls' ears perked when the words _Preservation Soil_ passed her lips.

"Wait - so the Preservation Soil is _real_? How is that possible?! Every book that I've read about gardening has said it to be a mere myth," Blueberry objected.

"And you said you have a _sister_?" Strawberry added.

"Yes, indeed. The Preservation Soil has been around for centuries, but it's imperative that it remains a secret. There used to be an endless supply of it, but in recent years, it has become nearly extinct."

"Why can't anyone know about it?"

"Because of greed: if everybody were allowed access to it, can you imagine how many farmers would use it to cheat their way into making larger profits from their crops? The soil's effects are miraculous, and if one were to abuse his right to use it, he could easily become the richest individual in the world, therefore putting everyone else into poverty. Nowadays, farmers are so desperate to get their hands onto the cure that they've been known to go to dastard measures to try to steal the last remnants of it from my sister. I was supposed to inherit a portion of the Preservation Soil in case of an emergency, but when it became nearly extinct, my sister was trusted with the last of the soil because she is older. From what I have heard, she keeps it under lock and key in her estate where no one can find it."

"So you're basically saying that you want us to travel to Berry Big City to try to convince your sister to sell us the soil?" Orange asked. "But why can't she give any of it to you? After all, you _are_ her little sister."

Princess Berrykin seemed to ponder deeply before she could give an answer. "When Beatrice and I were teenagers, we didn't get along very well. Our mother and father had...let's just say they left, and it was taken upon us to face the consequences of the situation. Unfortunately, Beatrice's heart grew bitter towards me, and she took the rest of the Preservation Soil and left to reign in Berry Big City. She refused to give me any for fear that I would be careless with it, and so I was left to rule Berry Bitty City and to take care of the..._problem_... myself." She appeared to grow uncomfortable, and she shifted in her seat. "I haven't heard from her since then; it's been nearly seventeen years since I've seen her."

Strawberry furrowed her eyebrows. "Might I ask what the '_problem_' was?"

The princess ran her fingers through her hair, clearly exhibiting that she struggled to find her words. "If I tell you now, you won't know what to think. If you don't mind, I would prefer to keep it to myself."

The girls sat in silence, taking upon themselves the information they had just gathered. Neither one of them could think of a reason horrible enough for Princess Beatrice to mistreat her younger sister and to just abandon her, but they came to the conclusion that Princess Berrykin was only telling them the portions of the story that she was willing to share.

"You said we'd have to purchase the soil from Beatrice - how much does it cost, exactly?" Strawberry crossed her leg over the other in her seat.

"Beatrice charges a very absurd price for the Preservation Soil; the last time I heard of her selling any, she was charging over half a million dollars for just a teaspoon of it."

Strawberry's jaw dropped. "There is no way we can afford that, Princess. Where would we get the money?"

"I realize that, Strawberry, which is why I have devised a plan. I have been collecting the extra money I've been charging you on your bills so I could afford to move you girls to the city. It will only last you a month, though, so use it sparingly. While you're there, you'll need to search for jobs to sustain yourselves, and in the meantime, I need you to start saving every bit of cash you can to go towards the purchase of the soil. If you catch my sister on one of her good days, she may lower the price, thus making it more possible to obtain it from her."

"Hold on, you said 'you' as if you're just sending the six of us to Berry Big City. What about you and the rest of the town?" Plum countered.

Princess Berrykin pursed her lips. "The rest of us townsfolk will reside in the outlying cities such as Rosevale or Oak Tree Meadows." She saw the growing concern on the girls' faces, so she continued, "Besides, I won't be of much use to you girls in trying to convince her to give you the cure."

Strawberry stood to her feet, and a wave of realization washed over her. "Then what about Berry Bitty City? Who's going to watch over the town?"

The princess dropped her gaze, avoiding eye contact with any of the girls. "No one will, I'm afraid. Girls, this may be difficult for you to take in, but Berry Bitty City is gone, and it has been for a while now. It isn't safe for any of us to live here; a wild fire could start at any moment and burn the whole town because it's so dry, or worse, we could be discovered, and I am not willing to take that risk. It is in our best interest to evacuate the town - immediately."

Strawberry slowly took her seat, and the feeling of defeat coursed through her body. All of the wonderful memories that she and her friends shared in Berry Bitty City - how distant they seemed now. All of the hard, tedious work they put into trying to rescue the small town - for nothing.

For the first time in her life, Strawberry Shortcake felt like a failure. Even when she tried to stay optimistic about the town's restoration, she now felt that she had merely been wasting her time. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes; the sore lump rose in her throat. Her breath became uneven and ragged, and she gripped the back of her chair to steady herself. However, as the first teardrop fell from her eye and splashed onto the pavement, she suddenly felt a revelation of determination come over her, the sudden desire not to give up on saving her home. At that moment, Strawberry decided that she would continue to do whatever she could to restore Berry Bitty City no matter what the cost. She raised her head, looked the princess straight in the eyes, and said, "Tell us what we need to do to convince Beatrice to sell us the Preservation Soil."

Princess Berrykin seemed to feed off of Strawberry's newfound determination and gave her a subtle smile, the first one Strawberry had seen from her since before the drought. "The best thing to do is to stay on her good side; if she suspects that you're up to something, she'll never sell you the soil.

"This coming Saturday is her birthday, and a celebration will be held in her honor at her estate. I want you girls to go to this party and cheer for her as much as possible; make signs, posters, banners - anything. If she notices you all and feels she can trust you, she may select you to go on her exclusive palace tour. But you mustn't tell her - or anybody - that I've sent you to try to attain the Preservation Soil from her. Word gets around quickly in Berry Big City despite its size, and if my sister were to discover why you're in town, she could have you arrested for all I know."

The girls were momentarily taken aback, but, like Strawberry, they felt motivated to take the risks in order to save their hometown. Raspberry furrowed her eyebrows. "But wait - if today is Friday, and Beatrice's birthday is _tomorrow_, then how will we have time to leave for Berry Big City?"

"I've arranged for you girls to get on the flight over there in two hours."

"Two hours?! That's such short notice! We have a lot of packing to do, and-"

"Only pack your necessities and valuables and leave the rest behind." Princess Berrykin opened one of her folders and handed Blueberry six plane tickets for coach seats. "I know this is going at a fast pace for you girls: you're all still so young. But I hope that you can understand that we need to take action as soon as possible."

Strawberry nodded. "We understand, Princess, though we're not children anymore. We're old enough and responsible enough to carry out your orders."

The princess discreetly shook her head. "You may not see it now, Strawberry, but believe me, you will. When you experience how harsh the world can be, sometimes you feel like a child who wants to hide beneath the safety of her blanket." She fingered through her documents once more, this time handing Strawberry a piece of paper with information about apartments. "When you arrive in Berry Big City, you're to stay in the apartment building listed here. I've already pre-paid the rent for the first month; unfortunately, I don't have enough to cover the other eleven months-"

"Eleven _months_? Princess, are you telling us that we have to live in Berry Big City for a _year_?"

Princess Berrykin bit her bottom lip. "Yes, which in reality is not much time, for we have only a year for the effects of the Preservation Soil to work. If we plant the soil too late, restoring the town is pretty much a lost cause."

"Oh..." Strawberry looked down at the information she held between her scarred hands. According to the details on the sheet, she and her friends were to stay in the Berry Big City Apartment Complex in apartment 807. She allowed her imagination to momentarily drift as she pictured what it would look like.

With a final clearing of her throat, Princess Berrykin signaled that the meeting was drawing to a close. "That is all, girls. I trust that you will do whatever is necessary to save our home, and I wish you all the best of luck. Just please keep in mind that you only have each other; I want you to encourage and uplift one another and to not place your trust in the wrong individuals. If you ever need my assistance, you can contact me with the number listed on one of your papers."

Strawberry couldn't keep herself from slightly smiling. Even though the princess wasn't old enough to be her mother, she felt she could always depend on her as if she were one. In fact, she had always been a sort of motherly figure to all of the girls, but it didn't occur to them until that moment.

Strawberry Shortcake rolled up the sheet of paper and slipped it into her pocket. "Okay, Princess," she said. "We will."

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all are liking the story so far! There's still a lot more to come.<strong>


	3. Goodbye, Berry Bitty City

As her friends departed down the different forks of the road towards their homes to pack, Blueberry Muffin walked the winding uphill path to her bookstore to do the same. Upon pushing through her front door, creaking on its loose hinges from the decaying nails, she was greeted by the familiar clutter of her shop. Hardcover novels were stacked one atop the other, looming over the entirety of the quaint store like skyscrapers. A mixture of printer paper and letters were splayed across her desk, as well as an unfinished cup of camomile tea from that morning.

Blueberry scratched at her scalp in frustration, irritated that she'd have to leave her book shop in such a state of disorder. She had planned to organize the mess that afternoon, but given her change of plans, she wouldn't be able to do so for at least another year, which worried her. With a big huff, she blew her bangs from her face and decided to begin packing.

She lugged the two largest suitcases she owned down the steps of her spiraling staircase, and with a loud thud, she let them plunk to the ground once she reached the bottom. Unzipping the large cornflower suitcase first, she piled book after book into the interior, neglecting to read the titles beforehand: _The Big Bitty Encyclopedia - 2012 Edition_; _110 Ways to Train Your Cat_; _Fairies and Dragons: A Tale of Modern Folklore_. By the time she'd inserted her tenth over five hundred page book into her bag, thus filling it to the brim, Blueberry noticed what she had done and, sighing to herself, emptied her suitcase to start over. Although it pained her to leave her beloved novels behind, she knew that she couldn't take them all with her to Berry Big City.

Brushing them aside, one of the books tilted over the edge of her violet coffee table and fell over the edge, but her trusty collie caught it in time before it hit the ground.

"Thanks, Scouty," Blueberry mumbled as she stood to search for more items to pack.

The pearly white surface of her laptop glistened and caught her eye as she rummaged through her desk drawers in the conquest for her favorite journal. It seemed to be calling her... tempting her. Blueberry tried her best to ignore her sudden desire to power it on but knew that she couldn't resist the urge to do so for any longer.

Because she and the others were restricted from using excessive amounts of electricity due to the depleting glimmerberry juice, they were unable to use their cell phones or their computers so they could conserve energy. Blueberry found this to be particularly difficult: not only did she have to conduct research to manage her bookstore, but she also had daily online chats with Huckleberry. When the Berry Works suffered a major electrical shutdown, she had no choice than to stop communicating with him without telling him why or when she'd speak to him again. Blueberry felt bad that she had neglected to tell him what was going on with the town, so she was compelled to speak to him at that moment.

She slowly extended her fingertips towards her computer, and when they made contact with its cool surface, she slipped her fingers underneath the lid to lift it. Only inches away from the power button, she stopped herself.

"What do you think, Scouty? Should I turn it on?"

The blue and white collie sat in a kneeling position by the coffee table, peering at her with his large, shiny eyes.

Blueberry reached for the oval power button at the front of her computer again. Within seconds, the screen glowed, and she was welcomed by the familiar lock screen. She entered her password and then was brought to the desktop, where she logged into her video chat account, sending a request to Huck's computer to see if he would accept it...

Blueberry leaned back, drumming her fingers on the wooden surface of her desk. Waiting... and waiting... until -

Huckleberry's picture filled Blueberry's screen. He appeared to be at his adoption center, as she could tell by the many pet supplies behind him and the distant barking in the background. Based by his confused facial expression, he must have been surprised that she even bothered to call him.

Blueberry hesitated before speaking. "Um, hey, Huck. How are you?"

He awkwardly scratched at an imaginary itch on his head. "I'm fine. You?"

"Not so good, actually. There's been so much going on here in Berry Bitty City-"

"You mean the stuff you refused to tell me?" His tone grew heavy like he had been deeply hurt, which caught Blueberry off guard. When she didn't speak, he continued, "What's been going on over there, Blueberry? I've tried to contact you all for weeks, and neither of you ever replied. If you don't tell me now, I'm coming to find out for myself."

"I'm sorry. I know you must feel left out since the girls and I have basically excluded you from everything. It's just... Berry Bitty City is in ruins now, so we have to move Berry Big City... today."

His caramel-colored eyes grew wide, and he sat closer to his computer screen. "_What_? What happened? Are you girls okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. We've just been experiencing a severe drought these past couple of months," she said, even though she wasn't being completely truthful. She and the girls suffered from the effects of the hazardous summer heat, but she didn't want to tell him that because it would only make him more concerned.

"Well, if there's anything you need me to do, Blueberry, I'll do it. I can come pick you and the others up if you want me to."

Blueberry smiled to herself, wishing that she had told him about the town's situation from the beginning. She should have known he would understand. He always did...

"No, we have plane tickets to fly over there, but thank you for offering. Gosh, I just miss you so much, Huck." Realizing what she'd said, she bugged her eyes and darted them away from her webcam. Those last few words she hadn't intended to say.

Huck seemed just as surprised as she to hear those come from her mouth, but he replied, "I... miss you too," and gave a nervous chuckle.

A few moments of awkward silence followed as neither of them said another word until finally, at the striking of her grandfather clock, Blueberry snapped back into reality.

"Oh goodness: I didn't realize it was this late! I really need to finish packing."

Huckleberry appeared to be disappointed. "But we've barely spoken for five minutes, and there's still a lot you haven't told me."

"I know, and I promise I'll tell you everything when we get there. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll meet you at the airport," he mumbled before he logged off the video chat feed.

As her computer screen went black, Blueberry felt a rush of loneliness come over her, but she tried to pry the feeling from her mind and returned to her previous activity of packing.

* * *

><p>Strawberry Shortcake turned her house key into the lock of the door to her café. A great shadow formed when she entered the kitchen, her figure seeming long and narrow. She crept up the stairs, taking in every bit of her home before she made her move to the city. She wanted to remember every detail of it, even the crack in the corner of the ceiling, incase she never returned there again. What if her home was gone by the time she returned to Berry Bitty City?<p>

When she placed her hand on the brass knob of her bedroom door, she suddenly remembered that she'd abandoned her pets the previous morning and had forgotten to buy more food for them, and not to forget that she hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours herself. She feared the worst might have happened to them while she was away, and so she sighed with relief when she found them sleeping by her bed on the floor.

"Oh, thank goodness you two are okay. I was afraid you were-" she decided not to finish her sentence, instead grabbing her suitcase from her closet as the sleepy puppy and kitty awoke from their slumber. While taking it from the top shelf, her heavy suitcase pulled several other items down with it, one item being a striped hat box with old pictures inside, which now spilled to the floor. She crouched to pick them up, but when she read the dates on the backs of of the photos, she sat on the carpeted floor to take a look at them.

One of them dated three years back, where she and her friends were smiling brightly as they presented the opening of the annual harvest festival. Each of the girls held autumn produce in their hands, Strawberry an intricately carved pumpkin, with Plum Pudding photo-bombing them in the back with a carved squash over her head. Strawberry giggled to herself from the memory and picked up another photo.

The next one was dated five years from the current; she and the others had just befriended Cherry Jam, and she had let them wear some of her expensive stage clothes and model in them. They all looked ridiculous in them, and they had a good laugh when they saw the results.

Finally, Strawberry selected a third picture from the stack. She and all of her friends, excluding Cherry, were shown in the image with their arms around each other's shoulders, all of them smiling intently as if they'd never been happier. They all appeared significantly older than they had in the previous image, which had confused her. Strawberry flipped the photo over to the back: the date was April of that year, only a month before the devastating drought occurred.

Strawberry leaned her back against her nightstand, heaving a deep sigh. How happy she and her friends were before disaster struck: calm, carefree, _healthy_. Now that was but a distant memory, and they took on a new set of responsibilities as they became older.

She grabbed some of her older photos to compare them with the recent photo, and she was shocked to see how much she and the others had changed over the years. They had all grown a few inches, with Huckleberry being two inches above the rest of them; their facial features became more distinct and prominent, and their figures had slimmed down and become longer. Considering the fact that Strawberry was now eighteen years of age, she hadn't expected to still look like a twelve-year-old, but nonetheless, she was startled by how much of a change she saw. Stashing the photos back into the hatbox, Strawberry stood and gazed at herself in the mirror for the first time in she didn't know how long. She peered at her reflection, taking notice of her bold green eyes and the vibrant hue of her hair. She brushed her fingers across the bridge of her nose where her freckles were, which seemed to have multiplied in number. Finally, she stepped back to examine her profile, and she felt horrified when she saw the results. She didn't like the fact that she had an hourglass figure, and she folded her arms and hunched her back in shame.

Strawberry couldn't believe she was looking at herself in the mirror. She practically looked like an adult! However, she remembered what she had told Princess Berrykin, that she and her friends were grown, so she thought it the right time to start acting like it.

She moved from the vanity mirror to continue packing, carefully returning all of the photos to her hatbox and laying the container in the center of her suitcase.

* * *

><p>With suitcases in hand and her pets in carriers, Strawberry walked the distance to the airport on foot. While she usually didn't mind the physical activity, today was different in that she was famished, feeling that her legs would fail her at any given moment. Her friends arrived within seconds, appearing to have struggled with their luggage as they entered the airport. Lemon Meringue's bags overflew with clothes and accessories, the blonde struggling to get them all to fit inside the partially zipped opening. In addition to two large suitcases, Blueberry Muffin had a large book bag slung over her shoulder, and she sheepishly looked away when Strawberry took notice of the amount of books peeking over the edge. On the other hand, Orange Blossom was the most organized of the group, having managed to fit all of her possessions into a single large travel case. Raspberry Torte, with her sewing machine in hand, seemed to have the same problem as Lemon, and Plum Pudding arrived carrying only a single duffel bag, her dog Pitter Patch in his carrier, and her boom box.<p>

The Berry Bitty City airport was the only air station the small town had. With its single plane that was rarely used, the only citizen to have ever ridden it was Princess Berrykin when she had to leave for business conferences, which was hardly often. The port was stationed on a hill that overlooked the town, and as the girls looked over the treetops at their home, they saw firsthand how awful the effects of the drought had truly been. All of the plant life that had once surrounded the town had collapsed and shriveled back to the ground from which they came. Therefore, the various shops and homes that were once safely concealed by the berry patch were now exposed for all to see.

Princess Berrykin drew the girls' attention away from their deceased hometown because oddly, she wore a taut grin across the length of her face as if her life were nothing but sunshine and gumdrops, and strangely, she wore a pair of pants and a blouse instead of her typical afternoon attire. Everything about her was radiant, and Strawberry wondered if this was the same distraught princess that she'd spoken to just two hours before.

"Well, this is it, girls. Are you excited?" she asked, attempting to make casual talk. The girls only blinked once as their reply, much to the princess' chagrin, so she continued, "Listen, I want you to enter Berry Big City with your shoulders back and your heads held high; don't think about Berry Bitty City too much. Remember that you have a year to convince my sister to give you the Preservation Soil, so please don't become discouraged or distracted. If you're going to prove to her that you deserve it, you need to show her that you're confident and reliable. I know it pains you girls to leave home, but you can't let the citizens of Berry Big City know that you're homesick."

Strawberry reached across to give the princess a hug, burying her face in the golden locks of her hair. "Thank you, princess, for doing this for us. I don't know what we would have done without you."

Princess Berrykin hugged the freckled girl back, squeezing her tight as in a 'you're welcome' manner, and replied, "I believe in you girls."

Strawberry separated from her, looked ahead at the pilot of the plane who motioned that it was time for take off, and followed the girls towards the entrance of the aircraft.

The inside of the plane was fairly small in size with only about twenty seats in all. The floor was lined with outdated carpet with an unappealing color, and a narrow lane between the passenger seats led to a utility area in the back. A series of windows lined the walls of the narrow space, accompanying every placing for the passengers.

Strawberry and her friends bumped and clanked their way to the coach seats in the back with their heavy luggage and pet carriers, nearly hitting the few other passengers from the nearby towns who nonchalantly spoke of visiting their relatives in the process. They opened the upper compartments and shoved their bags inside before plopping into their seats, relieved to finally get them out of the way. The seats were cramped and uncomfortable, and the girls were shoulder to shoulder with one another, but they didn't complain because they couldn't afford any seating of a higher class.

As the pilot spoke into the intercom that the plane was ready for lift off, Strawberry could feel the body of the machine begin to travel forward and saw the pavement move behind her. Princess Berrykin stood alone on the far side of the track and offered her a sad but sure wave, and Strawberry returned the gesture, the plane surging forward towards the edge of the sloping hill and finally descending into the morning sky. Everything below her shrunk as they rose higher, and the princess became nothing more than a blurred dot, the town of Berry Bitty City transforming into a brown splotch.

Strawberry moved away from the window and butterflies formed in her stomach, in part due to the high altitude of the plane, but mainly because she was afraid of what lay ahead in Berry Big City. As she turned her head and saw her friends slowly closing their eyes, she decided to do the same and drifted into a deep sleep.


	4. Berry Big City

Strawberry awoke with a violent thump to her head as the plane landed with a thud at the Berry Big City airport. She rubbed the back of her skull. Had she really slept through the entire four hour flight? Once her sleepiness wore off, she blinked her eyes and peeked out the window next to her. Immediately, her sight was filled with the image of several extravagant buildings, some of them as tall as skyscrapers, and many colorful blimps that decorated the sky. However, her view was obscured when the pilot drove the plane beneath the shield of the airport cover.

She felt a surge of excitement bubble within her, though she didn't understand why. How could she feel this excited about entering Berry Big City when her own home satin ruins? Strawberry turned to Blueberry, who was seated to her left, and said, "We've made it to Berry Big City," with a slight smile forming in the corners of her mouth that she tried to disguise.

The pilot of the plane informed the passengers that they had reached their destination and opened the exit door that led down the steps. The girls stood and gathered their belongings and pets, which had grown restless during the long flight, and headed towards the exit. Blueberry pushed past the others and briskly descended the plane steps, and Strawberry wondered why she was in such a hurry until she saw her blue-haired friend run and nearly jump into somebody's arms.

"Huck!"

Strawberry looked up: Blueberry and Huckleberry were wrapped together in a tight hug, seemingly in no hurry to let go of one another. Strawberry was confused. How did Huckleberry know that they were flying to Berry Big City? Had someone told him?

She and the others finished going down the remainder of the steps, and instantly, they were greeted by him the same way he had greeted Blueberry.

"Strawberry, I'm so glad that you and the others are okay! How are you?" he said as he let go of her from and unusually strong hug.

"We're fine. But... how did you know we'd be here?" She raised an eyebrow, and instantly, she had the answer to her question when Blueberry lowered her gaze to the floor. "_Bluuuebeeerrry_..."

"Okay, so I told him that we're moving to Berry Big City. So what?"

Strawberry rolled her eyes. "You know that we aren't supposed to tell anyone about this! How did you contact him, anyway?"

Again Blueberry's face gave away the answer, and this time Orange butted in. "Don't tell me you turned on your computer - you know how much energy that uses!"

Blueberry folded her arms across her chest. "Look, I don't know why you're making it such a big deal. Does it even matter anymore? Berry Bitty City is gone now, so it's not like the electricity would have been used for anything else. Besides, Huck is our best friend - don't you trust him?"

This time Strawberry and Orange lowered their gazes. Blueberry had clearly proven a valid point, and in the process, they had offhandedly insulted their friend when he was showing that he cared about them.

"You're right, Blueberry. Huckleberry, we're sorry; we didn't mean it like that," Strawberry finally said.

He only gave a slight nod and didn't say anything else, and instead he grabbed some of their luggage and started walking towards one of the exits to a different section of the airport.

* * *

><p>The eightsome walked through the vast Berry Big City airport, weaving in and out of the groups of skeptical pedestrians who watched them as they passed. They could clearly tell that the girls weren't from there, and they snickered at them in contempt.<p>

From what Strawberry observed firsthand, everyone in this city upheld themselves differently from the citizens of Berry Bitty City. For one thing, they wore an excessive amount of cosmetics, sporting the latest hairstyles and trendy clothes. Many of the teenaged girls that she passed were going crazy for whatever was in their teen magazines, and the adults allowed their young children to roam around on their own and interfere with other individuals while they squandered their time on their phones.

The friends stepped under a huge glass window that replaced the ceiling, and when they looked up, they could see the tall buildings that overshadowed the airport. After walking across the vast area for what seemed like hours and getting their plane tickets validated, they finally reached the exit and entered the city. They were instantly hit in the faces with the excitement of city life upon passing through the swivel doors; the streets were flooded with heavy traffic, cars honking at other vehicles and trying to go around them. A mob of citizens cluttered the walkways, and gigantic billboards advertising the latest products were posted along the sides of the over twelve-story high buildings. The air smelled of a heavy mixture of expensive cosmetics, fast food, and smoke, a smell that would be most unpleasant to anyone who was new to this kind of environment.

Lemon stepped to the edge of the rugged sidewalk and lifted her arm, calling for a cab as she frantically waved her hand back and forth in the air. Despite that she yelled at the top of her lungs, her squeaky voice was barely audible above the awfully loud noise the traffic produced. Just then, Huckleberry pulled his keys out the pocket of his jeans and shook them to get her attention, and understanding what he meant, Lemon turned back around and shouted even louder, "_TAXI_!"

He held up his keys again, thinking she didn't know what he meant. "Lemon, my van is parked less than a block from here; I can drive."

Plum shook her head. "No, really, it's nice of you to offer, but we're fine with renting a cab. So we'll just-"

Strawberry cast her a warning glance, signaling for her to be quiet. Although she didn't want Huckleberry driving she and the girls either, she didn't want to hurt his feelings a second time. Huck had issues with his confidence, so he was prone to being pretty sensitive at times, and as a result, he became offended easily. Although from the outside one would assume that he was a carefree individual, he was the total opposite in that he was a very emotional person deep down inside. Despite that he was a licensed driver, he had a bad habit of getting himself into car trouble; nearly every time he went to visit the girls in Berry Bitty City, he always managed to get himself into some kind of accident.

Plum, understanding Strawberry's message, cut herself short. "But if you want to drive us, then that's okay, too."

* * *

><p>Strawberry's friends and their luggage were tightly fitted in the back of Huck's van with a few empty pet cages while Strawberry climbed into the passenger's seat, and realizing that this was the first time she had ever ridden in his van, she decided to take a look around.<p>

The interior was a dark gray with dog bones embroidered on the fronts of the seats. Half of a strawberry-shaped key chain dangled on its golden chain that hung across the rearview mirror, and immediately, Strawberry thought of Cherry because it was one-half of the good luck charm that she'd given to him a few years back. The whole inside of the vehicle smelled of shampoo and fresh interior, which she thought odd since she'd always imagined it to smell like animals and fur. She checked the glove compartment and found multiple books that he must have borrowed from Blueberry.

Huckleberry opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat. He turned the key in the ignition, and the _pup mobile _came to life.

Strawberry pulled the sheet of paper the princess had given her prior to their departure from the side pouch of her bag. "We should drive north to Big Bitty Boulevard to get to our destination," she clarified.

He tugged at his brown bangs. "Yeah... but I just realized that I forgot to lock my store before I left, so we have to stop there first if you don't mind."

Strawberry sucked in her bottom lip, leaned back in her seat, and quietly heaved an irritated sigh. _Typical Huckleberry_...

* * *

><p>The supposedly fifteen minute drive to Huck's pet shelter took more than an hour due to the incoming flow of traffic. Every inch of road was covered with a vehicle from every category, from bikes to motorcycles to limousines. Strawberry and the gang remained silent the whole ride except for a few exchanges of small talk about how magnificent Berry Big City was.<p>

Strawberry's eyes had begun to grow heavy as she drifted off to a peaceful cat nap, but when she finally did, she received a soft poke to the shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open after only being closed for a matter of seconds, and through the tinted windshield of the van, she could see the entrance to the pet adoption center.

Huck removed his keys from the ignition and pushed open the door. "This will only take a moment," he said before stepping out.

Strawberry gently grabbed his wrist to stop him. "Wait - we'd like to go inside first."

Huckleberry led his friends past the glass double doors of the small brick building. Upon entering, they were greeted with a receptionist's desk that sat in a diminutive front office. A couple of leather chairs sat in the corner for incoming guests, and nearly every inch of wall space was covered with framed pictures of animals and coloring book pages that were supposedly decorated by children. Another door was stationed behind the desk, and when Huck opened it, they were taken into a larger room that was filled from top to bottom with pet cages. Instantly, the girls' ears were vacated by the constant unanimous cries of various animals. A third and fourth door were displayed at the very back, and from Strawberry's perspective, one led to a vet area and the other to a flight of stairs, perhaps to Huckleberry's apartment.

Huck slipped his fingers through the small gaps of the metal cage beside him, and a tiny white kitten approached him, allowing itself to be petted.

"So what do you think?" he asked, removing the feline from its chamber and cuddling it in his arms.

Strawberry took one more look around before she replied, "Your pet hotel looks really great, though I don't see how you manage to take care of all these animals by yourself."

"They can be a handful sometimes, but it's not as difficult as it seems." When the cat became agitated with him, he placed the squirming white feline into her arms. "So what exactly has been going on with Berry Bitty City?"

Strawberry winced at the mention of her hometown. She looked down into the bright blue eyes of the furry friend she now cradled in her arms before she told Huck, "It's the drought - it's killing the town and threatening the lives of those living in it. The girls and I have been toiling the the ground for weeks, but as you can rightly assume, we haven't had any luck." The cat struggled to free itself from her, so she held onto it tighter. "Princess Berrykin sent the six of us to Berry Big City to try to convince her sister to sell us the Preservation Soil. If we can get it from her, we can save the town."

"Who's her sister?"

"Princess Beatrice."

"They're _related_? Well, now that I come to think of it, they do look a little alike, I guess. But what is _Preservation Soil_?"

"It's the only known fertilizer in the world to reverse the effects of deceased plant life. According to my books, it's mythological, but according to Princess Berrykin, the last of the Preservation Soil is said to be with her sister, Beatrice," Blueberry clarified in her typically logical manner.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone about our plan," Orange warned, giving Huck the eagle eye.

Raspberry pointed her finger in the air. "Yeah, because if you do, we could be, well, arrested."

Huckleberry creased his forehead in surprise. "_Arrested_? You're really taking a risk, aren't you? But don't worry, I won't tell anyone, not that I'd have anyone to relay it to except for Tom Tom."

Strawberry frowned. "Haven't you been talking to Cherry?"

"I've tried calling her several times, but each time I did, she was either busy or she just ignored my calls. I take it that she's just too busy with her tour to speak. You're all staying with her, aren't you?"

Strawberry shook her head. "No, the princess rented an apartment for us instead. But that's funny: Cherry usually never avoids our calls. I wonder if something's going on with her."

"Well, whatever it might be, I'm pretty sure that she'd rather talk to you about it than me. So how are you supposed to convince Princess Beatrice to give you the Preservation Soil? She's a fairly strict ruler here in Berry Big City, and she has no tolerance for anyone who's snooping around."

The white kitten wiggled free from Strawberry's arms and jumped onto the cold floor, where it limped over to Blueberry's feet. Blueberry then scooped it into her own arms, where it sat still.

Huckleberry looked awestruck as if she had just turned a cart-wheel on a tightrope with her hands tied behind her back when the actual procedure was yet so simple. "How did you do that? Usually Isabella never likes for anyone to hold her."

Blueberry gave him a shy smile. "You just have to hold her the right way. I read all about the proper ways to care for cats in one of my books a while ago," she explained.

For a solid moment, the two of them just gazed at one another, and Strawberry watched them in puzzlement until Orange interrupted, "We have to go to Princess Beatrice's birthday party this weekend and try to get chosen to go on her 'exclusive palace tour'. Since you live here, you would know all about it, wouldn't you?"

"All I know is that it's the most important semi-formal party of the year that almost everyone in Berry Big City attends."

Raspberry smacked her lips. "That's all you can tell us? Surely you've been to one."

Huck abruptly shook his head. "I've never been to one in my life, and frankly, I plan to keep it that way. You know I can't dance."

"You can't argue with that," Plum said, recalling past events when Huck tried to dance in which he wound up looking like a scarecrow with a severely broken arm. He had no sense of rhythm whatsoever, which was the easiest for her to point out because she was such a dedicated dancer.

"Look, you don't have to go if you don't want to, but it's imperative that the rest of us do." She could already see Blueberry looking disappointed from the corner of her eye."What time does the party usually start?"

"I don't know, I'm guessing around seven at night. Are you sure this plan is going to work? I don't mean to sound negative, but what if you're not chosen to go on the tour?"

"Huck, this plan has to work, so please don't tell me otherwise! It's the only hope we have to save Berry Bitty City, so we need to stay optimistic, okay?"

Strawberry's voice nearly cracked as it rose, and she clenched her fists before she got the urge to slap him. She had dealt with enough negativity over the past two months, and she felt that any more of it would make her go insane. But then her expression turned into one of worry: what was happening to her? She'd never shouted at anyone before, let alone one of her best friends, and she ultimately began to feel disgusted with herself. Was it because she was sleep-deprived or the fact that she was starving to death? She didn't know. She now felt bad that she had been rude to that poor boy for the second time in one day.

He held up his palms in defense, clearly alarmed by her sudden outburst, and seemed afraid that she was going to hit him, even though that kind of action was highly unlikely of her. "I'm sorry."

Strawberry unclenched her hands. "No, it's not your fault. I'm just a little stressed, I guess." She glanced at the circular clock on the wall, which informed her that the hour was nearing four in the afternoon.

"We should probably head to the apartment complex now," she finally said.

Abstaining themselves from commenting, the other girls gathered around the door, and Blueberry handed Isabella back to Huckleberry to put her back in her cage. At that moment, Strawberry remembered that she still hadn't fed her own pets since the previous morning while she watched the crying feline being put away.

"Huck, you wouldn't happen to have a bag of dog food lying around, would you? Oh, and cat food?" she sheepishly asked.

* * *

><p>The eightsome pulled into the parking lot of an aged tan building that read "Berry Big City Apartment Complex" with some of the insides of its letters missing. Strawberry scrutinized the paper she held in her hand in the hopes that they were at the wrong location, but to her dismay, the address of the complex matched the address on the sheet precisely. <em>Is this really all we can afford in the city?<em> she thought as she hesitantly stepped out of the vehicle. She and the others walked through the entrance of the small adjoining building where they were greeted by the unwelcoming lobby.

A be-speckled middle-aged woman that reminded Strawberry very much of Jadybug from the Berry Bitty City post office sat behind the receptionist's desk. She met she and the others with an annoyed and tired gaze when they approached her.

"Welcome to the Berry Big City Apartment Complex," she boredly recited. "How may I help you?"

Strawberry lifted her paper. "Uh, yes, we would like to check into apartment 807."

The receptionist lowered her gaze to view her above the rim of her glasses. "_We_?"

Strawberry turned her waist, motioning to her friends with her index finger.

The lady heaved an irritated sigh. "You really mean to tell me that all seven of you are sharing an apartment?"

Strawberry's face flushed. "No, only six of us," she defensively said, even though her remark didn't do her justice.

The lady blew another annoyed sigh before she lazily fished through one of her drawers for the specified room key. She seemed to take her precious time, slowly moving to the other various drawers on her desk before she found the right one.

"Name?"

"Strawberry Shortcake."

"Age?"

"Eighteen."

After requiring her signature, the receptionist stamped something onto a document on her desk and handed Strawberry a tarnished key.

The girls and Huck went up a long, weathered flight of stairs outside of the complex until they reached their destination. Strawberry unlocked the door and flipped the switch for the lights, and a single yellowed lightbulb illuminated the empty area, revealing a dusty and faded wooden floor. Curtains with a dated floral print were carelessly dangling on their rods, and a sooty fireplace sat in the quaint space that was supposedly the living room. A narrow hallway introduced a series of small bedrooms and a single bathroom.

Blueberry forced a half-grin, although it was obvious that she was displeased. "_Aahh_... so _this_ is our new home for the next year. It's... interesting."

Strawberry stepped into the tiny kitchen, where the tiled floor was stained with age, a burnt spot was unsuccessfully concealed by a filthy-looking rug, and the appliances were in desperate need of an upgrade and smelled of old grease.

"Home sweet home..." she mumbled, and her heart dropped in her chest.


	5. Unexplored Grounds

**Author's Note: So there's a little bit of, I guess you could say, _romance_ in this story, but thankfully it isn't what the whole thing is about. I'm new to writing about it, so please bear with me. But don't worry, there's nothing inappropriate. Anyway, thank you to those of you who are reading this story; it's good to know that I'm not just writing for the air. ~BlueVanilla79**

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><p>Blueberry Muffin shifted beneath the covers of the inflatable mattress that she and her friends purchased from the convenience store the previous their new apartment wasn't furnished when they rented it, they had to buy cheap blow-up furniture from across the street as a temporary means of having real furniture. The blow-up bed wasn't the most comfortable compared to the feeling of a real mattress, but at the time, that was the least of her concerns. She rolled to her side and sat up, slowly peeling her eyelids apart from each other.<p>

The morning sun peeked in cracked beams through the bent blinds in the small bedroom. Blueberry placed her bare feet on the gross oatmeal-colored carpet, which buckled beneath her when she stood. She looked across at Strawberry, who was still sound asleep in her own bed despite the fact that the clock said that it was passed noon.

Blueberry tip-toed to her suitcase so as to not disturb the slumbering redhead. From what she could decipher from Strawberry's demeanor in the last few days, her friend had been dealing with a lot of stress over the issue of saving their hometown. She had grown thin and frail, and she lacked control of herself in dealing with the burdens of added pressure.

Unzipping the larger of her suitcases, Blueberry gently tugged at her favorite tank top, but it resisted her efforts of setting it free, so she had to open her bag a little wider in order to prevent snagging the article of clothing. The friction between the zipper and the bag created a displeasing rubbing noise that caused Strawberry to flutter her eyelids open. She sniffed robustly, then stretched her arms and stifled a deep yawn and focused on Blueberry.

"Morning," she whispered.

Finally, Blueberry freed her polka-dotted shirt. "It's the afternoon, actually," she said while rummaging to find a pair of skinny jeans. Strawberry became panic-stricken, so Blueberry calmly added, "Beatrice's party doesn't start until seven; we have plenty of time to get ready, so don't worry."

Strawberry inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm herself, but she still appeared worried.

Becoming concerned, Blueberry sat down beside her. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just... ever since the drought hit Berry Bitty City, I've had these dreams where everything is the way it used to be, the way it should still be now. When we were cheerful and happy, you know? These visions are vivid, and I begin to think that everything is all right, but just as soon as the visions come they go away, and I return to reality. I feel like the good times that we all once shared are just a distant memory. What if Berry Bitty City truly is gone? What if Beatrice doesn't give us the soil after all?"

Blueberry lifted Strawberry's hands. "Strawberry, this isn't the end of Berry Bitty City. We're going to retrieve the Preservation Soil from Beatrice, and once we do, we can enjoy life in our hometown once more and create new memories. We just have to keep our minds open and have a positive perspective, okay? Isn't that the kind of thing you would tell us when we were discouraged?"

Strawberry slowly nodded.

"Okay, then. And even if things don't work out, at least the eight of us will still have each other, right?" Blueberry felt multiple swollen lumps in the palms of Strawberry's hands, so she flipped them over. Several puffy scars lined her palms, and each one of them looked very irritated. "Strawberry, what happened to your hands?!"

Strawberry snatched her hands away, concealing them by folding her arms. "Nothing. I just accidentally cut myself while doing the dishes," she mumbled, and stood to leave the room.

When Blueberry finished changing into her day attire, she went to the living area where she found Raspberry hard at work sewing their gowns for the party that night, pushing up her pair of reading glasses whilst she tried to concentrate on the pattern she had displayed before her, and Lemon made posters on the floor. Orange and Strawberry washed the dishes in the attached kitchen, and Plum stretched her legs in the corner.

Lemon traced over one of the large letters on her banner with a neon green marker. "Hmm, I still think these are missing some thing. Blueberry, would you be a dear and buy some glitter pens for me from the convenience store across the street? I'd buy them myself, but I need to start on everyone's hair."

Blueberry examined Lemon's prestigious artwork on the large piece of paper board; her friend always had a natural gift for the arts. "Your posters are already magnificent as they are, but sure, I'll buy some for you."

She swiped her keys off the counter and left the apartment, going down the stairs outside the complex and eventually to the store across the busy street. She stepped through the revolving doors of the general store and went to the craft section where she found a six-pack of glitter pens for two dollars, which was rather expensive compared to the usual price she'd pay for them back at home.

She made her way to one of two lines in the store, and when the cashier scanned her item, she realized that she had forgotten to bring her wallet. She checked the pockets on her pants for any loose cash - she had no luck whatsoever.

"Oh dear, I must have left my wallet at home. Is it okay if you hold those for me while I go back to get it?"

However, just then a familiar hand reached past her to hand the cashier the required amount of money. She spun around on her heel and saw Huck behind her holding a roll of paper towels and a can of disinfectant spray, and Blueberry became puzzled, but she allowed his kind gesture. She didn't speak to him until after they'd exited the convenience store.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do that for me," she said, and removed the pack of glitter pens from his bag. "I could have just gone across the street to get my wallet. When did you get here, anyway?"

"I know, but I figured that I could save you some time by paying for them myself. Anyway, I came here a few minutes ago to buy some cleaning supplies: one of my dogs sort of, well, had an accident. I'm surprised that you didn't see me walk in."

"I must have been thinking about something else," she mustered.

Huckleberry walked to the right-hand side of his van. "Listen, I'll talk to you later, Blueberry." He climbed into the driver's seat and started the ignition.

Blueberry placed her hand on the opening of the window, her mood having flipped a whole three hundred sixty degrees in a split second. "Where are you going?"

"To Acorn Acres to deliver these German shepherds to one of my clients," he replied and scribbled a note on his clipboard.

"Oh..." she backed away from the window to let him close the door, but he didn't. He only sat there, looking at her and drumming his fingers.

"Do you want to come with me?"

Blueberry raised her head. "All the way to Acorn Acres? I don't know; I'd have to make it back in time to go to Beatrice's birthday party."

"The trip will only take a few hours, so I should be able to bring you back with enough time left for you to get ready. What do you say?"

Blueberry momentarily contemplated the idea before she made her decision and climbed into the passenger's seat.

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><p>The two-hour drive to Acorn Acres was one filled with the constant chatter of mysteries and mystery-writing, subjects that the two of them hadn't been able to discuss for months due to long distance. They spoke of their favorite fictional detective, Patty Persimmon, and of her most recent adventures in her latest novels as well as the various other topics that only the two of them enjoyed discussing.<p>

Blueberry enjoyed conversing about something besides the perilous state in which her hometown lay, and for the first time in months, she felt at ease with her life, which was how she always felt when she spoke with Huckleberry. He was the only individual who completely understood her, the only one who could tolerate her nerdy antics.

As he drove, she secretly admired him. He was everything she could hope for in a friend and even more beyond that. He was the one who she felt she could completely trust, although he came across as a constant fibber when they'd first met. He wasn't perfect, of course: he still had problems with his confidence, but that's what she felt had made him so unique: it caused him to be humble rather than arrogant, and that was one of the many reasons why she liked him so much. The way his bangs fell into his caramel-colored eyes and his smile she found dreamy, and the way he'd always looked out for her and the others...

Blueberry quickly turned her head away when she realized what had happened: she'd developed a crush on her own best friend. She felt embarrassed, no, _humiliated_, and tried to bury her feelings for him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. When she was younger, she'd promised herself that she would never allow this to happen, but a few short years later, she found herself breaking that same promise. When she thought more about it, she came to realize that she'd actually felt that way about him for a while. Though her heart said otherwise, she had tried to make her feelings unknown to him because she didn't want to ruin their friendship. However, now she couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same way about her.

The van pulled onto a dirt road that spiraled into a winding path that headed to an acorn-shaped farmhouse. At first no one emerged from the worn barn, but when Huckleberry honked the horn of his van, an aged cricket man wearing overalls and a straw hat came from behind the shuffle doors. He tipped his hat to welcome him, and Huck stepped out with his clip board with Blueberry following behind him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Huckleberry. You brought my German shepherds?" Alfred Cricket asked. He looked to Huck's left and was surprised when he noticed Blueberry standing next to him. "My - who is this beautiful young lady here? Has Mr. Huckleberry got 'imself a little girlfriend?"

Huck's face turned a twinge of scarlet. "Uh, no, sir, this is my friend, Blueberry. But yes, I brought your, um, German shepherds."

He jogged to the back of his _pup mobile_, which left Blueberry alone with Alfred. The old cricket extended his hand to her, and it felt moist as she shook it.

"Nice to meet ya', Miss Blueberry. May I ask where a young, pretty 'un like you came from?"

"Berry Bitty City, sir, though I recently moved to Berry Big City this week," she replied.

"Ah, I should a figured as much. My, well it seems every'un is movin' to the big city these days," he continued. "So how long have you and Mr. Huckleberry known each other?"

Blueberry tried to discreetly wipe the palm of her hand on the back of her jeans after he let go of her. "For over four years, sir."

"What in tarnation?! _Four years_? And he still ain't courtin' ya' yet? Don't worry, sweetie, the boy may be slow, but he ain't stupid. He'll come around."

Blueberry giggled uncomfortably as Alfred playfully patted her on the back and gave a throaty chuckle, and Huckleberry approached them from the distance with multiple pet carriers in his hands. Based on the expression on his face, he'd probably heard everything Alfred Cricket told Blueberry.

He set the three cages on the dusty ground, and several baby German shepherds emerged from the openings when he unlocked them. The small, multi-colored puppies sniffed the dirt and chased one another around the outside of the barn and eventually went to explore their new home in the vast, open field next to it.

Blueberry looked up to watch them frolic around, but when she did she couldn't help but notice another farm structure that she failed to spot before. It was fairly faraway, but it was impossible to miss: a rather large farmhouse painted in darker hues with a billow of smoke emitting from the chimney, another building of similar structure sitting not very distant from it. Somehow, it made her feel uneasy with its unwelcoming aura, but she shook the thought from her mind.

"My, look at them things go. Maybe now I can have some'un to watch over my crops so them dang wild animals will stop eatin' my plants." Alfred signed his signature on Huckleberry's clip board and handed him a check. "Good deal, Mr. Huckleberry, good deal. I reckon you'd best be on your way," he finally said.

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><p>As she and Huck walked back to his van, Alfred jokingly winked at Blueberry and waved to her, which made her feel all the more awkward. Huckleberry had insisted that they take a lunch break before they drove back to Berry Big City, so he took Blueberry to a tranquil lake that he said he'd liked to visit whenever he went to Acorn Acres. When they arrived, he opened the back doors of his van so they could enjoy the scenery while they ate their lunch.<p>

The picnic that he packed consisted of a plain bologna sandwich on wheat bread and a few slices of freshly cut watermelon with a thermos of apple juice, and while the food was enough for only one person, he split the meal in half to share with her. And so they sat together on the back of his van, quietly munching on their half-sandwiches and taking in the beauty of the body of water before them.

The lake sparkled as the afternoon sun passed over it, and the sky painted it the most lovely shade of aqua, a shade that one only might see portrayed in the form of a painting. Various species of fish swam beneath the water, though at given times some of them leaped above the surface, the golden flecks of their scales glistening in the sunshine. The whole area was surrounded by a seemingly endless amount of fir and pine trees and a few sleepy willows that drooped over the top of the lake. Blueberry couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight; this pond was the most beautiful thing she'd seen since she'd left Berry Bitty City.

She and Huck finished their lunch, and it wasn't until then that she realized that neither of them had spoken much since they'd left Alfred Cricket's property.

Finally, almost like he read her mind, Huck said, "I'm sorry about what happened back there. Sometimes Alfred says things that can make a person feel uncomfortable."

Blueberry removed her sight from the breathtaking view. "It's okay." She tapped her fingers on the floor of the van. "So what part of it did you hear?"

"All of it."

"_Ohhh_..." Blueberry picked with a loose thread on the padded interior. "Is he always like that?"

"Yeah, pretty much. He usually only means it as a joke, but sometimes he has some truth behind what he says. I just wish he'd quit it with saying that I need to find a girlfriend - it's humiliating."

Blueberry darted her eyes away from him; her heart dropped into her stomach. He didn't like her after all, did he?

"So... _is_ there anyone that you like?"

He turned back to her and appeared puzzled. "What?"

In an attempt to play off the subject, she nonchalantly flipped her hair to her other shoulder, but in the process of doing so she realized that what she did more so made her look as if she were trying to flirt with him.

"I was just wondering," she quickly added. "I mean, you think Strawberry is pretty, right? Don't you like her?"

Huck winced a little. "Well, _yeah_, I think she's pretty, and I _do_ like her, but not in that way. Why would you ask me that?"

"I'm just curious. I guess that I just thought that you and she would, I don't know, perhaps date or something. I guess we were all expecting it." Even though Blueberry was the only one who actually liked him - well, she assumed she was - she had always imagined him and Strawberry becoming a couple although the mere thought of it aggravated her.

"Well, I don't know why everyone would come up with that assumption. Strawberry seems to be pretty annoyed with me recently, anyway. Haven't you noticed?"

"Well, yes, but that's only because she's been stressed out. Stress can do that to a person, so don't take it so personally. She's having a rough time."

"Yeah, perhaps that's the case."

An awkward silence followed. "So... is there anyone that you currently like?" Blueberry interjected a second time.

"Why are you asking me all of these questions all of a sudden? Do you _want_ me to like somebody? What if I kept asking you the same thing? Do _you_ like anyone?"

Blueberry thought for a moment. Other guys existed, but Huck was the only one that she knew in person, so of course he was the only one that she liked.

"_Well_..."

"Wait, do you really? _Who_?"

He seemed to become defensive all of a sudden, which she took as a good sign.

"I'm just joking with you. Of course there isn't anyone that I like."

"Oh. Good, then."

Blueberry snapped her head around. "Wait, what?"

"Huh?"

"You said -"

"Oh - _shoot_!"

Blueberry just sat there and stared at him. "Huck, are you trying to say that you... like... _me_?"

He began to fidget and rubbed the back of his head, looking down at his sneakers. "I, uh, well... maybe..."

"Because if you do, I...kinda feel the same way."

He looked at her in wonderment. "You do?"

"Erm, yes."

Both of them turned their heads away, avoiding eye contact by all means. Then, they slowly looked back at one another, and they involuntarily began to lean towards the other person. They seemed unsure at first, but they went through with the kiss anyway; it was short and simple, but when they pulled apart from one other, they both looked horrified as if they were wondering what in the world they had just done. Out of instinct, Huck and Blueberry both raised their arms and wiped their mouths like children would in the same kind of situation, and they didn't speak to or even dare to look at one another during the whole two-hour drive back to Berry Big City.


	6. The Princess' Domain

**Author's Note: Well, here's another chapter! I hope you all like it. ~BlueVanilla79**

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><p>Blueberry quickly climbed the steps to her apartment in a race against time; her cheeks burned in part because she was winded from running but mainly because she was utterly humiliated. After she'd kissed Huck, <em>one of her best friends<em>, she felt too ashamed to even talk to him, let alone look at him. Immediately after the incident, the air became awkward between them, and as soon as he dropped her off, she bolted out of his van and ran without once looking back at him. Her heart rapidly pounding in her chest, she felt horrified. _What had she done_? She could have prevented the kiss from happening and therefore have saved their friendship, but instead she let her feelings get the best of her and went through with it. Oh, how she regretted it now. She felt almost sick to her stomach and leaned against the brick wall to support herself, catching her breath, inhaling and exhaling. She realized that the time was past six in the evening, so she fumbled with her keys to unlock the front door to her apartment.

She stepped into the living area and instantly saw all of her friends in their party attire, hairstyles and all, while she just stood there looking disheveled, the red in her cheeks fading and causing her to look whiter than usual. The girls' eyes widened.

"Blueberry, where have you been?! We were worried about you!" Strawberry placed a hand on her hip, demanding a response.

"I was out with Huck," she contritely answered, handing Lemon the bent pack of glitter pens.

"Doing _what_?''

"Look, we just drove to Acorn Acres to deliver some dogs to one of his clients," she said, keeping in mind to leave out the parts about the lake and them kissing.

Plum rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Blueberry? You should have told him that you had other plans. He would have understood, he's not _that_ pitiful. Plus, you could have at least told us where you were going and have had the decency to take your cell phone with you."

Blueberry placed her hand on her back pocket, just then realizing that in addition to forgetting her wallet, she also forgot to bring her phone.

Lemon sighed and placed the glitter pens on the counter. "What am I gonna do about your hair? It looks like a bird's nest. If you hadn't left for several hours, I would have had time to style it."

Blueberry trotted past them to the hallway. "I'm sorry, girls. Don't worry, I promise that I won't make you late; I only need a few minutes to get ready."

She went to her and Strawberry's bedroom where she found one of her cerulean dresses lying on her mattress with additional pieces sewn to it that she assumed Raspberry had added while she was away. She slung it over her arm and went to wash up in the bathroom across the hall. She slipped into her dress, which fell just above her knees, applied a decent amount of eye makeup and lipstick, and put on her favorite pair of dangling silver earrings. As for her hair, which truly did look like a nest, she grabbed the hair brush out of the basket by the sink and brushed it to its naturally silky state. Finally, she slicked her blue hair into a neat ponytail and rummaged through her suitcase to find her silver heels to wear with her dress.

"I'm ready," she said, and glanced at the clock to see that it was six thirty-five.

The girls stood on the sidewalk outside the building where other individuals who were also dressed for the occasion gathered in clumps. Each time a cab pulled by the sidewalk, they near-fought the girls and the other guests in order to climb into its backseat. Strawberry and her friends tried - and failed - to call a taxi several times, but each instance they caught the driver's attention, someone else beat them to his cab. Fifteen minutes of unsuccessful attempts had gotten the best of them until they at last managed to call a taxi for themselves and quickly piled into it. The people who didn't have any luck whatsoever scowled at them when they saw them shut the doors in their faces so they could head to Beatrice's birthday party.

The bitty taxi cab was puny and pathetic in appearance; clearly it was a model of the current year but was left in poor condition, and it produced the stenchy odor of an excess mixture of different glimmerberries. Its seats were rough and hurt the girls' bottoms, and the glass windows were in dire need of a cleaning. The backseat that was meant to seat three was inhabited by the six girls, who were all cheek to cheek and shoulder to shoulder with one another as they all struggled to fit.

The vehicle passed through the iridescent lights of the city; the bright flashes illuminated the insides of the car as it drove under the various telescreens and billboards. Many of the boards advertised the promotional products of food, shopping centres, and popular cosmetics, and quite a few of them contained blown up images of Cherry Jam. On one, she had one hand placed on her hip and the other holding a microphone, dressed in her typically expensive attire that had evolved over time. Once dressed in cutesy clothes that reflected her bubbly personality, Cherry was now adorned in more age-appropriate clothing which in Strawberry's opinion looked good on her but didn't suit her at all. She couldn't figure out how her pop star friend managed to perform in those boots with the near five-inch heels on them.

Strawberry thought of her friend again, wishing more than ever that she could just hug her and have a mutual conversation with her. She realized she'd taken the ones she used to have with Cherry at her café for granted, and given her current situation, she mentally decided to never do so again.

Not surprisingly, traffic was even more packed than it had been earlier, but the only difference was that this time the other drivers seemed to hurry so as to not be tardy for the princess' celebration. Strawberry peeked her head through the smudged window as several limousines passed by, and one of the them in particular had one of its windows left open which she saw as an advantage to do a bit of snooping. She recognized the famous actress, Candace Fig, and her even more famous younger brother, Caleb Fig. Candace was busy scrolling through the feed on her cell phone, her auburn hair falling into her face; Caleb looked upset about something, but when he noticed Strawberry looking at him, he gave her a sad smile. She was momentarily starstruck, but so as to not act like a crazed fan, she returned the grin. But inside, she couldn't help but wonder why he looked so depressed. When she returned the gesture, though, Candace saw her and closed the window.

The girls were driven onto a glowing over-water bridge, and at last, they could see a grand estate growing larger before their eyes. The property itself was almost twice the size of Berry Bitty City as a whole, and the mansion that sat within it constantly shifted hues from the neon lights that were buried within its bushes. The entire estate sat on a hill with a circular stone wall built around it for protection, and from a distance one could make out the spot lights of a gigantic amphitheater, which put Berry Bitty City's performance area to shame. A single blimp that read "Happy Birthday, Princess Beatrice" floated across the starry sky above it, and immediately Strawberry identified the property to be the princess'.

The worn taxi cab and most of the other vehicles on the road drove down the circular path that surrounded the wall of Beatrice's home, where they parked to drop off their passengers. While the ordinary citizens were taken to the front entrance, the limousines carrying the higher class citizens looped around to the back to access the private entrance.

The girls combined their loose cash to pay the ridiculous price that the taxi driver demanded from them, and after doing the said transaction, Strawberry and her friends left the cab to join the crowd of people who stationed themselves outside of the iron gate. The impatient ones of the group pushed and fought their way to the front while the others of them tried to force them to the back.

Strawberry looped her fingers around the bars of the gate, noting its curlicues structure that she discerned was the same as Princess Berrykin's gate in Berry Bitty City minus the fact of it being tarnished. Instead, this one was larger and more extravagant. A gruff-looking security guard motioned for her to move away from it, and he pressed a button on his miniature remote. The doors of the gate parted, and within an instant, the crowd of people tried to force their way into the property, but they were stopped by the several security guards who were composed of bugs, Berrykins, and astonishingly a few humans, who forced them to go through a metal detector first. Most of the citizens went through the detector with a solid green check mark, but as Strawberry and her friends passed, she noticed a few of the party guests being handcuffed.

Strawberry stepped onto the cobblestone in her three-inch heels, where she was met with the festivity of the celebration at hand. Before her was a whole venue of people seated at long, narrow tables, where they were waited upon hand and foot by the accompanying waiters and waitresses. The sophisticated older guests took pleasure in the fancy platters of lobster with crème de menthe sauce and caviar, and nearby the younger guests enjoyed the many benefits of an outdoor buffet.

The victuals created a most pleasing aroma: when Strawberry sniffed the air, she smelled fried fish, then chicken lasagna, and that changed into the scents of freshly baked apple pie and sticky buns once the wind shifted, which she found delightful.

She directed her attention to the right hand side of the property where an enormous ferris wheel adorned with berry-shaped lights was placed. It lit up and flashed lights in all kinds of different patterns and contortions to the rhythm of the loud music that filtered through the speakers on the stage. Strawberry peered to the top of the ride, but when she did her attention was drawn to a numerous amount of balconies extending from the sides of the mansion that she hadn't noticed before. Most of them were inhabited by some of the other guests, but one of the balconies remained empty. However, once the night clouds shifted away from the full moon, she thought she saw an indistinguishable figure standing in the shadows. She squinted to try to get a better glimpse: she could barely make out the outline of a woman who appeared to be holding a twinkling scepter. Her hair glided in waves across the subtle wind and had as light golden twinge to it in the moonlight. Strawberry's eyes widened. _This must be Princess Beatrice_, she thought, and the figure disappeared into the blackness of the shadows.

A mob of screaming fans ran past she and the girls towards the amphitheater stage and, out of curiosity, they decided to follow the berserk guests. Fake smoke emitted from vents on the stage, and Delia Dragonfruit emerged from behind it and began to belt her latest single. The crowd roared as the curly blonde danced from one end of the stage to the other, the eccentric-dressed backup dancers mimicking her every move.

Strawberry and her friends were constantly bumped from the audience swaying from side to side, which proved to be a bit burdensome when their shoulders began to bruise, but in an instant, though, Delia paused in the middle of her song and extended her arm.

"Now give it up for my good friend, Cherry Jam!" she cried, and stepped back to catch her breath.

Cherry appeared from the billows of smoke. An over-sized pair of sunglasses concealed her eyes; she sported a glittery short black dress with a chunky pair of cowboy boots. She raised her bangle-clad arms above her head to clap her free hand against the base of her microphone and called at the top of her lungs,"Happy birthday, Princess Beatrice! Here we go!"

The back track of Delia's single transitioned into the instrumental intro of one of Cherry's hits, and the two singers performed a duet.

Orange Blossom nudged Strawberry's arm. "Strawberry, it's Cherry!" she shouted, though she was barely audible above the noise.

Strawberry nodded in response. Was Cherry finished with her world tour? She thought to when she'd last spoken to her, but she couldn't recall any specific conversation as to how long she would be away. Either way, she was prepared to surprise her friend when she finished her performance. Pushing the previous thought aside, she mentally decided that she would try to sneak backstage after the show to visit her.

The performance closed with the launching of fireworks and the official entrance of the princess. The crowd watched in awe as she coolly descended the steps of her mansion followed by a long line of Berrykins and her bodyguards. Like a homecoming queen she waved, and with a single fling of her scepter she magically changed the colors of the flowers lining her path. The audience cheered and clapped in utter amazement.

Strawberry studied Princess Beatrice closely: her appearance, her composure, the way she smirked whenever the audience clapped for her - she was the total opposite of Princess Berrykin. Instead of having the sunny golden locks that her younger sister inherited, she harbored a more brunette color of hair. Her eyes were a shade of sea green rather than that of Princess Berrykin's yellow-green, and at all times, she left her eyelids in an arrogant slant. When she stood, she held her shoulders back and stuck her upturned nose in the air so that even though it wasn't necessary, she could always look down upon anyone she associated with. Her wand looked much like Princess Berrykin's except that it was more spiked and pointed, and her crown was the same way, intricately detailed with jewels and made of gold.

Princess Beatrice stopped to examine the crowd of people who surrounded her. As her eyes panned across, she came to an abrupt halt when she saw Strawberry and her friends in the front row. They had assumed that she noticed them because of Lemon's handmade signs, but she seemed to look beyond the posters for something deeper. She just oddly stared at them until one of her assistants asked her if she was all right.

"Yes, I'm fine," she responded and shook her head to clear her mind. She then stood on the platform of the connected porch. "Good evening, my loyal guests, and welcome to my annual birthday extravaganza. I am grateful for those of you who could attend; please, go enjoy yourselves and have some fun. Cake cutting will begin at eight-thirty, and at nine-fifteen I will select the four lucky people to go on my exclusive palace tour. Thank you." She stepped off the platform, and everyone in the audience broke into several small groups to partake in the activities that the property had to offer.

Strawberry whipped around towards the stage to see if she could find Cherry, but the pop star had already left. All she saw was the staff cleaning confetti - however, she spotted one of them dipping into a hidden door on the side of Beatrice's mansion.

She tapped Blueberry on the shoulder, who seemed to be having another one of her spaced-out moments. "I'm going to look for Cherry," she said, turning to leave.

Blueberry caught her arm. "Aren't we supposed to be keeping an eye on Beatrice?" Strawberry brushed her off. "I think we'll be fine with not doing so for a little while. Besides, if she notices us watching her she'll grow suspicious."

With the insides of her pumps forming blisters on her toes, Strawberry tried to jog across the lawn as discreetly as possible. Her shoes only slowed her down, so she slipped them off and walked barefoot the rest of the way to Beatrice's mansion. She looked both ways to make sure she wasn't being followed and snuck through the private entrance.

The entry took her to a supply room for cleaning materials: mops and brooms were posted along the walls, and buckets of sudsy water lined the floor. The dark area seemed to be a dead end until Strawberry made out a thin rectangular strip of light that led to another doorway.

She was taken to another flight of stairs and thus to a long hallway, which harbored many more doors. Slipping the painful high-heels back onto her feet, she contemplated which of twelve ways she should go. A security camera posted on the far corner of the ceiling made her realize she was being watched, so she had to make her decision wisely. She chose the second door on the right cracked it open to peek inside.

A magnificent vanity table was the first thing she saw, but there were no signs that the room was being inhabited by any individuals. She cracked the door a bit more so she could fit inside, and based on the many stage outfits that were piled on the mini sofa, Strawberry figured that she had entered a dressing room - but was it Cherry's?

Slowly turning the corner that led to another area, she heard the quiet sound of footsteps on the tiled floor.

"Cherry?" she whispered, and was surprised to see that the individual that was there was in fact not Cherry.

Delia Dragonfruit froze when she saw Strawberry standing in her dressing room. She wore a pair of sweat pants and held a pudding cup in her hand.

"_Who are you_?" she cried, alarmed, and began to scream a shrill so loud that Strawberry thought her ears would fall off, therefore not even allowing her a chance to speak.

By instinct, Strawberry zipped around the corner, out of the dressing room, and back into the hallway. The lens on the security camera adjusted itself, focusing on her as its subject. She tried not to panic: if Beatrice had her arrested for trespassing the very same night she met her, her opportunity of attaining the Preservation Soil from Beatrice would be ruined. What would she tell Princess Berrykin and her friends who were all depending on her?

To avoid enabling the face recognition feature on the device, Strawberry ducked her head and swiftly ran to the very last door in the wide hallway. She was led to another flight of stairs, where she climbed them and entered a guest bedroom with an attached balcony. The room didn't contain a bed but was instead converted to an entertainment area.

A distant chatter echoed from the balcony. According to the different vocal patterns, there was a whole group of people stationed on it. Strawberry turned to go back but was struck with the thought of the security camera recording her again; feeling low on options, she decided to stay and crept towards the balcony's entrance. She first hid herself within the safety of the drapes and peeked around the edge, spotting a group of ten or more people conversing as they enjoyed complementary glasses of punch and viewed the other party guests below them.

She thought the coast was clear when she saw them, but a nagging feeling wouldn't leave her alone. Something was familiar about these individuals, she just couldn't place her finger on what. Didn't the brunette girl on the far left look just like the star from her favorite television program? And wasn't the lady with the erratic white hair the famous talk show host Mavis Maraschino? Then it hit her: she had entered the portion of Beatrice's house that was strictly reserved for celebrities, and she had trespassed by going in there to search for Cherry.

Inside, Strawberry wished that she had listened to Blueberry before she'd just randomly decided to take off the way she did. If she was kicked out of the party for sneaking around, she'd never forgive herself and neither would anyone else. She took multiple silent deep breaths to calm herself before she formulated her escape plan: bolt for the door and not look back. The plan hardly sounded effective, but it was the only idea she had in the flustered chaos of her mind.

Quiet as a mouse, she delicately, if not very carefully, unwove herself from the expensive fabric of the drapes. Her plan succeeded - that is, until the heel of her obnoxious shoe knotted itself in the curtain's tassels and caused her to stumble face-first to the ground in front of everyone. The crowd of stars stared at her in horror. _An intruder!_

Strawberry slowly rocked onto her scuffed knees to look at them, and right before her were Candace and Caleb Fig, the two actors she'd spied on in their limousine on their way to the party. Surely she had gotten herself into a pickle.

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><p><strong>Things will really start to pick up in chapters seven and eight, and soon I'll enter the main context of the story as well as for the series in general. Anyway, thanks for reading!<strong>


	7. The Depths of Predicament

**Author's Note: Here's chapter seven. It's a little on the shorter side, but hopefully the chapters will begin to lengthen in the next ones to come. Anyway, Cherry finally has a role in the story, so I'm excited to actually start writing for her character. ~BlueVanilla79**

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><p>Strawberry rose to stand before the group of stars; trying to act casual, she adjusted the hem of her dress and fixed her hairpiece. The celebrities didn't move but only intently stared at her, half-expecting her to whip out a gun from the back of her dress and force them to do her bidding. When she didn't, though, Candace retrieved her leopard-print cell phone from her designer handbag. Her thumbs moved swiftly as she dialed the numbers on the touch screen keypad while she kept an eye fixated on Strawberry.<p>

Caleb peered over his sister's shoulder. "Who are you contacting?"

"The princess: she promised we wouldn't have to deal with any intrusive fans at this party, yet this one has been stalking us since the drive over here. Security should take care of this problem in a few minutes."

Strawberry was panic-striken. _This is it_, she realized. She was going to be arrested only her second day living in Berry Big City and jeopardize her chances of saving Berry Bitty City. And all while the thoughts flowed through her mind, she appeared scared and confused, which didn't help much in her case.

She waved her hands in the air and shook her head. "No - please - I'm sorry. I took a wrong turn. I can leave you alone." She spun towards the direction of the exit and darted for the door, but Candace roughly grabbed her arm before she could escape, the perfectly manicured nails of her hand digging into her skin.

"You think you're so clever, don't you? Thinking you can run off to tell your friends, hm? I'll tell you this, I'm not one to fall for that sort of trick. The last time a so-called 'fan' played the innocent card, she returned with a group of friends and tried to rob us." Her grip only intensified around the middle of Strawberry's arm, which made Strawberry wince. Noticing her pain, Caleb wrenched her arm free from Candace's grasp, only hurting her already bruised arm even more.

"Candace, leave her alone! She hasn't done anything wrong," he interjected, also snatching the phone from her.

Candace scoffed, "She hasn't yet, anyway. Just give her a few minutes and she'll have you thrown over the balcony."

A few of the other celebrity guests left while the two siblings argued, and amidst the drama, Strawberry sat at one of the outdoor tables and buried her face in her arms.

* * *

><p>Cherry sniffed down the last of her summer cold as she turned the brass knob to the green room. The sequins on her performance dress irritated her skin; a bead of sweat dotted her forehead. She felt irritated and upset over the recent problems she'd had to deal with, which were so infinite in number that she'd lost count.<p>

After spending six months travelling in a bus, she was fatigued in that the constant bumps in the road caused her an excessive amount of discomfort. She was tired of the same schedule that she had to repeat on a daily basis, composed of waking at the crack of dawn and not being able to rest until past midnight. She hadn't had any contact with any of her friends due to her busy schedule, and her recent breakup with her boyfriend was the icing on the cake. This collection of problems swirled in her mind all day and all night, but she felt that she could finally start to relax since she had just finished her world tour. At last, no more rehearsals, no more meet and greets, no more autograph-signing, and most importantly, no more working with Delia.

Struggling to breathe through the congestion, she opened the door and was met with the familiar faces of her publicist and her boss. They both had an air of seriousness about them, and from past experiences, Cherry knew that wasn't a good sign. She hesitantly shut the oak door and grabbed a bottle of water to soothe her dry throat. She sat in the arm-chair across from them, crossing her legs and hoping that they weren't too displeased about whatever they were upset about.

Her boss clasped his hands together and leaned forward in his seat; her publicist folded her arms and did the opposite.

Mr. Pearson adjusted his glasses and cleared his voice. "Miss Jam, I just want to commend you for the outstanding work you've done throughout your world tour," he began, "but now that you've finished your tour, we need to think of a way to keep you in the public eye. As you are aware, the demographics for your fan count have decreased significantly since you've started frequently disappearing for several given months at a time."

Cherry rocked forwards in the leather chair, heaving a resented sigh. "So even after I went on a six month-long tour around the world, released a new album, and shot two new music videos, that _still_ isn't enough to sustain my career? What more do you want me to do?!"

"Listen, Miss Jam, what you have accomplished in the last few months is wonderful, but those things are only temporary. After a while, people will put those things behind them and demand to see more from you. They'll think, 'okay, we've seen this from Cherry, but what will she produce next?' which is why we need to get to work on some new projects for when that time comes. What you need is something that can become a backbone for you at for at least a said amount of time."

"How about a reality show? They seem to be all the rage among the youth these days. If it's successful, she can sustain her career for years and gradually regain her popularity," her publicist suggested. "After all, the _Berry Glitz and Glamour Network _has been eager to do business with her for the longest time."

Mr. Pearson excitedly slapped his hand on the coffee table. "That's it!"

Cherry sat, her lips momentarily left agape. A reality show was one of the last things she'd wanted to resort to if her career ever fell out of line. The thought of a camera crew filming her on a daily basis horrified her, and would she even have time to visit her friends anymore? Plus, from what she'd seen from past reality shows, the experience often ruined the protagonists' lives as well as their relationships with other people, and Cherry did not want to take part in anything that would to the same to she and her friends.

"You can forget about a reality show," she firmly declared, thus draining her boss's enthusiasm. "I'll just accept the loss of my fans."

Her boss became grave. "Surely you don't mean that, Cherry. Perhaps this will change your mind: if you don't want to commit to your job, then I will be more than happy to start working with another artist who is more dedicated to her career, such as your friend, Delia Dragonfruit. She was phenomenal on stage tonight, and she's so genuine, too."

Cherry scoffed. Clearly her boss didn't know the British R&B artist the way she had: the girl who'd been her best friend early in her career and the same girl who stabbed her in the back years later. From that time on, Cherry didn't want to have any association with Delia whatsoever, but to her demise, their record companies thought it a great idea to have the two of them collaborate.

Cherry bit her bottom lip. "And if I still say 'no'?"

"Then you can start looking for a record label, or else your career will go down the drain. You can't keep hiding from the public, Cherry. Being one of the greater stars in the world, it's imperative that everyone hears from you once in a while."

She heaved a resigned sigh because she knew that he was right: she _had_ been spending too much time away from work, and her actions placed her social standing at risk. Whenever she visited her friends in Berry Bitty City, she'd enjoyed her time with them so much that she lost track of time, and as a result, she'd missed several weeks-worth of work. Once she returned home, she'd become behind on so many of her projects that the load became unbearable. Even after she faced the consequences, she still found herself returning to the petite town and repeating the same cycle once more. In fact, she was supposed to secretly drive back over there at the crack of dawn, but because of her job, she now couldn't.

Berry Big City became that of a ball and chain to her; the stress was excruciating, and now that she was no longer allowed to visit her secondary home, she felt that she would go insane. However, then she thought of the other side of the decision at hand. If she decided to give up her career to live with her friends, how would she support herself? Music was all she ever knew, and if she stopped singing, she'd have nothing left.

"Alright," Cherry consented, "I'll do the reality show. When do I begin?''

Mr. Pearson's eyes lit like twinkling stars, and he revealed a toothy grin. "The sooner the better. We'll see if we can set up an appointment to meet with the _Berry __Glitz and Glamour Network _on Monday." And with that, he gathered his briefcase, and he and Cherry's publicist exited the green room.

* * *

><p>Cherry lazily walked through the corridor; she didn't bother to change into her party clothes first, instead deciding to leave on her black dress and boots simply because she didn't feel like changing. She glided her fingertips along the smooth paneling on the walls in sync with her steps, her head hung low.<p>

She felt depressed, depressed about her life's turn of events, depressed that she had to resort to getting a reality show, and depressed that she hadn't seen her friends for such a long time. Since her departure from them half a year ago, she'd hardly had any opportunities to communicate with them, and when she did she was too exhausted from performing to speak. Without the comfort and advice her friends provided her, she felt all-around crummy.

Cherry turned to head down the adjacent staircase, but before she made it to the first step, two security guards rushed past her towards the last doorway posted in the long hallway. Momentarily puzzled, she slinked in their direction, peeking her head through the door frame to obtain a glimpse at the situation. She saw the two guards approach the celebrity habitat in Beatrice's mansion, the stars all appearing distressed, with a single girl standing between them.

The girl stuck out like fresh bait; anyone could easily tell that she didn't belong with the group of stars just by looking at her. Her face wasn't caked with an excessive amount of makeup, her clothing wasn't made of over-priced materials, and with those distinct freckles and bright red hair, she was impossible to miss.

Just as one of the officers snatched the girl by her wrist, realization flooded over Cherry. The girl was Strawberry! Without thinking, Cherry flew from behind her station and bolted towards the balcony. She ran a bit too fast, though, because she nearly knocked over a few of the guests when she darted past them.

"Let her go!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, startling everyone.

The officer holding Strawberry retrieved a pair of handcuffs from his belt. "This girl snuck through a restricted entrance and has been convicted of harassment. Under the princess' orders, we are instructed to arrest anyone who does so."

Cherry contemplated for a moment. "She's my special VIP guest, officer," she fibbed, "I guess she just came to look for me but took a wrong turn. She didn't mean to intrude."

The security guard exchanged looks with his partner. "But I was informed that she allegedly attempted to attack Miss Fig."

"Officer, this girl wouldn't hurt a fly. Are you really going to believe that? Look at her: completely harmless. I want you to release her. _Now_."

Reluctantly, the officer released his grip from Strawberry's wrists. "My apologies, Miss Jam. We'll drop the conviction, but please tell this girl to be more careful next time." And with that, he tipped his hat towards Strawberry, and the two guards left. The other guests murmured their consent to her and went about their business, but Candace continued to glare at her like a snake and left the balcony.

Cherry turned her attention to Caleb. "How could you have let that happen to Strawberry?! You _know_ that she's a close friend of mine!"

"I _did_, but Candace wouldn't listen to me!" Caleb extended his hand to Strawberry. "Hey, I'm sorry for what happened. Sometimes my sister can be a little out of whack."

"I highly doubt that: when have you ever stood up to her? You certainly never did when we were dating."

"Sweetie -"

"Don't call me that."

"_Cherry_, I've tried apologizing to you again and again about what happened. When are you finally going to forgive me?"

"When I see that you've changed."

Cherry turned her back on him and pulled Strawberry into a tight hug. "Oh my goodness, Strawberry, what are you doing in Berry Big City?! I've missed you and the others so much!"

Strawberry hugged her back but watched Caleb over Cherry's shoulder. She started to feel bad for the teenaged actor when he darted his emerald eyes toward the ground and stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants, his jet-black hair obscuring his face.

When Cherry pulled away, she motioned to the doorway. "Come on, you can tell me all about your trip while we find the others."

Cherry led Strawberry through a different path of the grand mansion on the return to Beatrice's party. They encountered several hidden passages and multiple stairways, and all the while Strawberry wondered how her friend could have possibly known her way around.

"I've performed here since I was nine," Cherry replied as if she'd predicted Strawberry's thoughts.

"You've done so for quite a while, then. But... what's going on with you and Caleb Fig? I didn't know you two knew each other, let alone _dated_."

Cherry wanted to avoid answering that question at all costs, so she sighed. "We just weren't getting along very well. With our careers and him letting Candace be a pain in the neck towards me, things just didn't work out, and I broke up with him. I'm better without him, anyway."

"Oh. Do you mind if I ask how you met?" She carefully asked because she knew that the topic was sensitive to her.

"We shot a music video together a while ago. Didn't you see it?"

Strawberry shook her head.

"But I thought you said you would support all of my upcoming projects -"

"I know, but I couldn't because Berry Bitty City is... no more. Resources were so low that I didn't even have enough electrical power to call you."

Cherry gasped. "W-What happened?"

"A continuing drought. But once we get the Preservation Soil from Princess Beatrice, we should be able to restore the town."

"Preservation _what_?"

"Look, I'll have to tell you everything later - it's quite a handful of information."

They reached the exit to the lawn, but Cherry blocked the door. "Strawberry, I advise you to avoid the Figs at all costs. After what happened tonight, there's no telling what other kinds of trouble they can cause you."

Strawberry was caught off guard. "But why is Candace so... uptight?"

"She and her brother had a traumatic childhood, which caused her to become overly protective when she became older. She can't trust anyone, not even her own parents, so she's quick to accuse anyone of trying to harass her. I mean what I said, Strawberry."

Strawberry pushed open the door. "After tonight, I seriously doubt that I'll cross paths with the two of them again, but okay," she replied, and the two of them re-entered the festivities of the party.


	8. Tables Turned

**Author's note: This chapter was a little harder to write than the others: I wanted to try to get it just right so I wouldn't have to go back and change it later. Anyway, Beatrice's character is so much fun to write about: I love how witty she is and how quickly she pieces information together. With Strawberry, on the other hand, she needs to learn how to stand up for herself, but she's so polite that I almost don't think she's capable of doing so. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! ~BlueVanilla79**

* * *

><p>Strawberry and Cherry weaved in and out of the cluttered groups of people during the hunt for their missing friends. Strawberry recalled seeing them last at the amphitheater before she snuck inside the mansion to search for Cherry, but after nearly being kicked out of the party, she had stayed in there at least over half an hour, which was longer than she'd intended. Additionally, the guests seemed to increase in number, and they obscured her view.<p>

Circling the entirety of the property, they had nearly given up until they came across the handful of teenage girls by the carnival games. Blueberry cuddled an abnormally large stuffed elephant while she appeared unsure about something, and the rest of the girls pouted because they hadn't won a single prize.

"Cherry!" they shouted in unison and trotted over to greet her. They backed away from her, though, when they heard she'd recently been sick.

"Has anyone seen Beatrice since I've left?" Strawberry asked, attempting to sound casual. She could only hope that word hadn't gotten out about her little ordeal, despite that the officer told her he would drop the charge against her.

"She's just been observing the party the entire time. It's funny, considering that this whole celebration is in her honor, yet she won't participate in any of the activities. But does anyone else have the odd feeling that she's watching us? Wherever we go, her eyes seem to follow," Orange pointed out.

Strawberry whipped her head around. As Orange had stated, the princess stared directly at them with an intense, fixed gaze. Her eyelids folded into a crease like a hawk watching its prey, and Strawberry couldn't decipher whether if she was simply trying to see or if she was glaring at them. Either way, it made her nervous, and she forced down the tight lump growing in her throat.

The princess stood, removing her gaze from the girls, and coolly left the balcony where she entered the rest of the party. Just then, a number of Berrykins rolled in her birthday cake, and Strawberry could only gawk at its size and the amount of work that the bakers must have put into it. Every inch of it was ornately decorated with a variety of fruits and candies, some of which Strawberry couldn't name, and atop the lavish dessert stood a circular row of fancy-looking candles.

The party guests gathered around the cake to sing the classic birthday anthem. The entire time, however, the princess seemed bored and yawned by the time they had finished. Strawberry thought she was being rather rude: how could she act so dissatisfied when she had such a grand party to look forward to every year? But then again, after throwing the same celebration for so many years, she must have grown tired of planning it. The annual expenses must have exhausted her wallet, too.

A chef presented an over-sized cutting knife and sliced it into one of the five layers of the dessert to reveal a chocolate base with a vanilla filling. The audience cheered with delight, and they were instructed to form a single line in order to receive a slice. The procedure took over half an hour due to the infinite number of party guests.

Strawberry finished her red velvet slice of cake with buttercream filling, and when she tossed her paper plate and plastic fork into the trash, the princess returned to her podium.

"Please assemble yourselves together so we can begin the raffle for the palace tour," she said in a most quiet voice, and even though the crowd erupted with chatter, they went crazy and pushed and shoved their way to the front row.

Strawberry wasn't prepared for the sudden outburst, and she stumbled to the ground trying to fight back.

She had to make it to the front row. She _had_ to. Not only did her own life depend on getting chosen by Beatrice, but so did her friends' lives and everyone else's in Berry Bitty City.

No matter how hard she fought, shoved, and pleaded, the other contestants refused to let her past them. They stabbed her in her ribcage with their elbows to send her reeling backwards, and after allowing this to happen over ten times, Strawberry found herself behind everyone else in the lonely back row. On the other hand, her friends had made it to the fifth row, and they waved their posters above their heads with all their might to attract the princess' attention.

Strawberry tried to retain her composure. Amidst all of her competitors, she was the one who was least likely to get chosen, and she realized that her chances of getting chosen were zero in a million. She was so far in the back that the princess would need a telescope to be able to see her. At least her friends still had a decent chance of going on the palace tour.

The princess scrutinized the screaming crowd before raising her index finger. "Let's see..." she panned across a final time before continuing. "I choose you, you, you, and-" she extended her arm outwards, "you."

The crowd screaming from both anger and delight, a select few people bounded towards the stage, but Strawberry couldn't identify them due to her lack of view. She sighed and crumpled to the ground, trying to strategize how in the world she was going to get the princess' attention now. Did she still have a chance, even if it was the slightest bit the size of a ginormous one? _Nope_, she thought. _Probably not_.

However, a quiet murmur erupted from the audience, then the sound of a shocked cry, as if some kind of tragic event occurred. Strawberry looked up: the crowd had parted and created a long pathway between her and the stage, and that caused her to frown with confusion.

Beatrice stood at the end of the line, she and everyone else directing their attention on none other than her.

"Child, are you coming or not?" the princess impatiently asked, tapping her scepter in her other hand.

Strawberry's heart turned a cart-wheel. What was she talking about? "Excuse me?" she said, obviously still in her confused state, in which the other guests mentally scorned her for.

"I said to come to the stage. Do you want to go on the tour or not?" the princess repeated.

Strawberry pointed to her sternum. "You mean me?"

"_Yes_, who else would I be talking to?"

She lifted herself from the ground, brushing off her party dress. Carefully trudging through the disapproving contestants, who seemed to envy her but tried to appear cheerful. She inched towards the stage as others surrounding her whined and complained, but she didn't want to walk too fast for fear of being mistaken.

"Goodness, child, we haven't all night!"

Fearing disqualification, Strawberry jogged the rest of the way to the stage. She hoped that the other selected contestants were her friends, but when she climbed the steps she was met with three unrecognizable faces. She thought she recalled that a fourth girl was already chosen, but she only saw three other winners. Had Beatrice disqualified the last girl and then chosen her as her fourth winner? She searched through the audience, and from where she stood she couldn't imagine how Beatrice could have spotted her all the way in the back row.

Beatrice removed her microphone from its stand and held it to each of the girls. "Please state your names."

"Penelope McSprout."

"Gwen Firethorn."

"Margo Mango."

"Strawberry Shortcake."

The princess stiffened when Strawberry stated her name, and Strawberry noticed.

"Come with me," the princess said without comment.

Strawberry looked to the audience one last time before she and the others entered the mansion. Her friends all smiled brightly and offered her an encouraging thumbs-up, and the double doors were shut behind her.

* * *

><p>The four winners were taken into a vast chamber that extended about one hundred feet. An expensive glass chandelier dangled from the ceiling, casting little flecks of light along the walls. Various paintings were displayed in golden frames, and Strawberry supposed that the subjects depicted in them were Beatrice's ancestors.<p>

One of the paintings in particular caught her eye, but it was too high for her to see it properly. From what she could decipher through the shadows, though, the individuals in the painting appeared to be a family; the mother and father stood behind two young girls, the elder one Strawberry automatically assumed to be Beatrice, and the younger one with the little blonde locks... Strawberry gasped. The girl was Princess Berrykin, but most of her face had been scratched out of the photo.

Strawberry's train of thought was interrupted by a repeated sequence of flashes. Since the beginning of the tour, one of the other winners whose name she'd forgotten had retrieved a digital camera and had begun to snap a number of photos.

"Hey! Photography is strictly prohibited," one of the security guards warned, whom Strawberry hadn't noticed until that moment.

The camera was confiscated, the girl almost in tears, but Beatrice continued with the tour as if she hadn't cared. She led the group to other doorways in the corridor where they were introduced to other rooms that contained similar elements. This same sequence was repeated in which Beatrice introduced her guests to the seemingly infinite number of rooms in her mansion, and all the while, Strawberry remained mute, the other winners asking an endless supply of questions which the princess dully answered. Instead, Strawberry used her time searching for clues for the Preservation Soil, but she hadn't discovered a single thing.

To her dismay, she knew that the tour was drawing to a close when Beatrice brought she and the others to her office. The other girls roamed about, placing their hands on whatever knickknacks they were allowed to touch on the built-in bookshelves, and one of the security guards notified the princess to express a concern of his.

Strawberry saw this as the perfect opportunity to do a bit of investigative work and was immediately drawn to Beatrice's desk. She discreetly traveled towards it, slipping her hand into one of its drawers.

She rummaged through its contents, but she found nothing more than floral-print stationary and a few office supplies. She checked the drawer next to it, but it contained similar contents. Strawberry sighed to herself, disappointed that there were no documents for the Preservation Soil, and turned to find the princess standing directly behind her.

"My, aren't we being a bit curious?''

Strawberry froze, her tongue becoming stiff. She looked into Beatrice's narrow eyes and began to panic. How was she going to explain herself now?

"You shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong," Beatrice said as she shut the drawer and sat at her desk. Strawberry still didn't respond, and for that the princess rolled her eyes. "You're a quiet one, aren't you?"

Strawberry attempted to find her voice. "I-I'm sorry."

"Where are you from, child?"

The abrupt question caught her off guard. "Berry Bitty City."

The princess flinched again like she had on the stage, only this time it was more evident. "I see. I assume you're under the rule of Princess Berrykin, then."

"Yes, your highness. Your sister is an exceptional leader."

Beatrice frowned. "Who told you that she's my sister?"

Realizing that she'd said too much, Strawberry mentally slapped herself on the forehead. She should have known not to bring up that she knew the two rulers were siblings.

"Um, word gets around, I guess."

The princess nodded, but it was clear that she didn't fully believe Strawberry's response. She clicked her tongue in a sort of annoyed manner and clasped her hands into fists.

"So what brings you here? To Berry Big City, I mean," she asked.

"I-" Strawberry couldn't muster to come up with an excuse. She definitely couldn't tell her why she truly came, but then again it's not like she had much of a choice. However, she wasn't used to lying, and through past experiences she learned that she was a terrible fibber. She tended to twitch her nose and unintentionally made her voice unconvincing, and while she never really minded this inability of hers because she'd never needed to lie, given the current situation, she'd have to quickly teach herself how to be dishonest before she blew her cover. "- just wanted to experience the city life," she finished, her voice faltering and nose wiggling.

The princess obviously didn't buy her story, but she proceeded anyway. She seemed to grow suspicious. "Did you by any chance move here with your..._family_?"

Strawberry tensed her muscles: that topic was fragile to her, one that she wanted to keep personal. "_No_, your highness, I just came here with my friends."

"Surely you must keep in contact with your family, then."

"No, I don't, actually."

Beatrice just watched her, the petite girl in her party dress shuffling her feet on the tiled floor and looking into the stained glass ceiling.

"You don't remember me do you, child?"

Strawberry looked back at her with uncertainty. "Excuse me?"

"Ah, I should have figured as much. Typical little Bethany! She sent you here, didn't she?''

"I don't know who Bethany is, but how do you know who I am? We've never met until now."

Beatrice gave a sort of maniacal cackle. "Really, girl? Has it really been so long that you've forgotten one of the individuals who saved your life?"

Strawberry became alarmed. "_Saved my life_? But when - how-"

"Perhaps you should try asking my sister. Give it up, child, I know why you're here."

"You do?"

"Indeed: isn't everyone after the Preservation Soil?"

Strawberry could only gape at how quickly Beatrice caught on to her plan, how she outsmarted her and made her look like an idiot in only a matter of minutes.

"But, but - how did you know?"

"It seems that you would have the common sense to consider the fact that your town has been featured on the news. A severe drought, huh? I knew that my sister would come crawling back to me for help sooner or later, but I never thought she would use you and your friends to try to clean up the mess that she created. Go home, girl, I do not wish to deal with any more trouble from you."

Strawberry dropped to her knees and pleadingly clasped her hands into a tight fist. "Please, your highness, Berry Bitty City won't survive without the Preservation Soil! My friends and I will lose our homes if the town isn't cured. It's all that we have."

Beatrice rubbed her chin, the room becoming vacated with quietude except for the ticking of the clock. Something seemed to click deep within her heart, for her stern expression began to soften.

Strawberry stayed in her position, locking eye contact with her. "Please? We'll pay you," she simply said in a young girl's voice.

Suddenly, the connection they momentarily shared was gone, and Beatrice broke eye contact with her. She frowned as if she'd been injured and refused to look back at Strawberry.

"You can't possibly afford it. Many eager farmers have saved their money for years to purchase the soil from me, and I think after holding on to it for so long, I'm finally willing to part with it."

Strawberry rose to her feet. "You're selling it? To _farmers_? May I ask why?"

"That really isn't your place of business, child."

"How much do you want for the Preservation Soil? I guarantee that I can raise enough money to purchase it from you."

Beatrice chuckled. "You naïve little girl! What has my sister been putting in your head? The price I demand is far greater than you can imagine."

Strawberry became annoyed with the princess' arrogance, and she disliked that she persistently called her "child" and "little girl". At her age, she felt the titles no longer applied to her.

She sternly placed her palms on the desk's surface but removed them when her action was taken as a form of disrespect. "_How much do you want_?" she asked again, this time very seriously.

The princess sighed and retrieved a pencil and paper, rapidly jotting figures and sliding the sheet over to Strawberry. Although she was afraid to look inside, Strawberry unfolded the note and nearly screamed at the numbers listed within it. According to the swirly cursive handwriting, she needed to raise three million dollars to even be eligible to participate in the auction, and the last time she checked, she did not have three million dollars.

"Once the bids go up, the value of the cure can exceed to much more than that," Beatrice pointed.

Strawberry dropped the paper in resignation. What was Princess Berrykin thinking? Beatrice was right: she couldn't possibly afford an amount such as that, and she'd be lucky enough to raise only one thousand dollars. She finally understood what Princess Berrykin told her before their departure, that she and her friends had only a year to save Berry Bitty City. How stupid she felt now.

One of the guards peeked his head through the glass entryway to Beatrice's study. "Your highness, it's about time that you wrap up the tour: it's getting fairly late."

"Very well," replied the princess.

Strawberry glanced at the great wall clock. The hour was past ten at night, but the tour seemed to be a matter of a few short minutes. She scanned the area, but the other contestants were nowhere in sight.

The aging security officer motioned that Strawberry needed to leave.

"If you are interested in seeing how auctions work, you're welcome to come to the one I will host in December," Beatrice stated, stopping her and handing her an elegantly decorated flier.

Strawberry nodded and accepted it, then walked towards the exit in a melancholic state.

"Oh, and girl, the next time you come to one of my events, don't start sneaking around the halls again," Beatrice added, and Strawberry whipped her head around in surprise before the guard directed her out of the room.

* * *

><p>She re-entered the scene of the party, and at first glance she noticed that the number of guests was significantly fewer. Her friends were easier to spot, and they ran to her with their arms flailing about them.<p>

"How did it go?!"

"What did she say?!"

"Did she show you the Preservation Soil?!"

Strawberry didn't reply to any of them, instead simply stating, "She somehow knows who we are and why we're here, but I haven't a clue how."

The girls gasped.

* * *

><p><strong>Are you surprised with how quickly Beatrice caught on to Strawberry and the girls' plan? What do you think she was referencing when she said that she had saved Strawberry's life? I guess we'll just have to see...<strong>


	9. The Competition Begins

**Author's Note: Here's chapter nine! There are more new characters and plot twists coming soon, so things are about to get really interesting... ~BlueVanilla79**

* * *

><p>Strawberry picked up her cell phone and, referring to the sheet she'd been given, dialed Princess Berrykin's phone number. It had been two days since Princess Beatrice's birthday party, and the girls decided to relax for a day before they contacted Princess Berrykin with their news. They were unsure as to how Beatrice knew about the six of them and their plan, and they hoped that Princess Berrykin could provide them with some plausible answers.<p>

The humming of the dial-tone echoed throughout the entire room once Strawberry switched her mobile device to speaker phone. Within a matter of a few seconds, the princess picked up the other end of the call.

"Girls?" she answered in her soft voice. She sounded nervous, as if she expected the girls to tell her the worst possible news. "Why did you wait so long to call me? Did something happen at my sister's party the other night?" she asked, and by the trembling tone of her voice, the girls could tell that she was bracing herself for what she feared they would relay to her.

Strawberry switched her phone to her other hand. "Um, no, everything went fine - well, mostly..." There was a lingering pause, so she continued, "I was chosen to go on the palace tour-"

"_And_?!" A muffled noise emitted from the receiver, and Strawberry assumed that the princess had inched closer to her phone in anticipation.

Strawberry gulped. "Well, Princess Beatrice knew who I am, but I don't understand how she knew. All throughout the party, she wouldn't stop watching me and the girls, and during the tour she asked me if I remembered her and immediately knew that we were in pursuit of the Preservation Soil."

The princess groaned and had apparently slapped her palm to her forehead; she muttered harsh words under her breath, much to the girls' surprise, and released an exasperated sigh. "Oh dear, this is worse than I expected. I didn't think she would remember."

The girls exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean?"

There was another long pause on the phone, for the princess didn't utter another word.

"Princess Berrykin?"

"Beatrice knew you girls when you were infants, but I did not think she would recognize you all since she hasn't seen you in nearly twenty years. I feel like a fool for thinking she wouldn't remember you.''

The flooding of thoughts filled Strawberry's mind, each one nagging her the longer her many questions remained unanswered. "When we were...babies?" she carefully asked, and immediately began to wonder about her seemingly non-existent parents. Had they really been gone ever since she was still in diapers?

"Yes, but she left before she even had a chance to get to know you. I'm surprised that she bothered to acknowledge you."

Strawberry inched closer to the speaker. "But where did her departure leave you? You couldn't have been more than fourteen when she left, and she probably wasn't much older than you. Didn't she care how you felt?"

Princess Berrykin hesitated. "She didn't care about my well-being," she bluntly stated. "I only had you all, but you were more than I could ever need."

_But what about our_ _parents?! Where are they? _Strawberry wanted to shout, but she refrained from doing so because she knew the topic was forbidden to discuss. But how long did she have to subject to this mutability? This was about her parents after all, and she felt she had a right to question anyone who knew anything about them. However, wasn't it coincidence how her and her friends' parents and Princess Berrykin's parents both experienced the same situation? They were nowhere to be found and seemed to have randomly vanished, and no one really knew anything about them. Perhaps if she simply hinted at the topic to the princess she would finally open up to her and tell her the information she'd been waiting to hear all her life.

"I've told you a countless number of times that that isn't open for discussion," was the princess' response. "Now we need to focus, girls. Please let me know that I have your full attention. This is serious."

Strawberry sighed, the refrain of hope residing in her heart being drowned out by negativity once again. "I'm sorry, your highness."

"It's okay, Strawberry. Frankly, I'm at a loss for words given our current situation. Did Beatrice mention anything else before you left?"

"She invited me to the auction she's holding for the Preservation Soil this winter."

A crashing sound emitted from the princess' end of the line like she'd just fallen out of her chair. Then there was the sound of rustling papers and finally an alarming cry. "This is not good!"

"_What_? What isn't good?"

"If my sister publicly announced that the cure exists, everyone is bound to be after it now. And there is one man who's been after it even before anyone else ever knew it existed."

Strawberry held her phone closer. "Who?"

"_Pieman_."

Plum scrunched up her face. "_Who_?''

"He's a wealthy businessman as well as a successful bakery owner. He pestered my family for years trying to convince us to sell him the Preservation Soil, but we'd always refused him. I felt sorry for the poor man, for he was of the less fortunate at the time, but I knew better than to trust him. He warned that he would return and not leave without the soil, and at this rate, I'm starting to believe that he may be capable of doing so."

Plum dashed to the kitchen to power on her computer that was sitting on the counter. She opened the search engine and typed the specified name into the tab, and instantaneously, the laptop's display revealed numerous photos of a middle-aged man. One shot depicted him shaking hands with one of the officials of the surrounding towns while another showed him displaying a large plaque on his desk. But no matter what image he was in, he always kept the same grave look on his face, and his eyes were like a dark ocean, with the deepest hue of blue that was inhumanly possible. They were penetrating to look at, but at the same time, they were hard to ignore.

Princess Berrykin resumed, "I advise you to steer clear of this man and anyone affiliated with him, girls; he's as crooked as that mustache of his. With that being said, I recommend you to go ahead and start searching for jobs - the sooner you start, the better." And with a few final exchanges of goodbyes, the princess ended the conversation with the click of her receiver.

Plum turned away from her computer. "Great, so now what are we supposed to do? That pie guy or whoever he is doesn't look like he's very welcoming to competitors," she said.

"Let's not worry about him right now; we need to keep our eyes on what's most important so we can go home soon. Like the princess suggested, we need to start earning some income." Strawberry momentarily returned to her usual leadership-like state, pointing her index finger in the air and thus relieving the other girls, who wished to have their leader back for the longest time.

Strawberry slid the apartment keys off the counter. "I guess the best way to job-hunt is to explore the city a bit. Are you guys coming with?"

As their response, the others seemed to back away from her, leaving Orange as her only participant.

"We'll just stay here and do a little, um, research to see if we can find anything. I might be able to contact some boutiques, well, if they're around," Raspberry replied, speaking in her partial indecisive manner and rambling a little more about her dream to work with top fashion designers.

Blueberry lifted a newspaper from their trash can. "I've come to find that newspapers often contain many occupational opportunities, but it's a pity that no one seems to read them anymore."

Strawberry jokingly rolled her eyes at her friend's inquisitive response, then headed to the door with Orange. "I guess it's just the two of us, then."

* * *

><p>Strawberry and Orange traveled the never-ending path of the sidewalk, stepping over its cracks and abnormal lumps while avoiding being hit with empty coffee cups and other garbage that drivers threw out their windows. The day was bright and sunny which lifted their spirits, and they swerved around the other pedestrians who carried briefcases.<p>

"So how are you holding up, kid?" Orange asked, lightly nudging Strawberry on her shoulder.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"I've seen how you've felt pressured with things lately."

"In what ways?"

"For one thing, your hands."

Strawberry folded her arms to hide her unsightly scars.

"And you seem as if something is really bothering you. I understand that you're worried about Berry Bitty City, but is something else bothering you?"

Strawberry bit her bottom lip. "No - I'm fine, really. I've had these nightmarish dreams lately, but they're starting to go away."

Unconvinced, Orange peered at her with suspicion, so Strawberry straightened her posture and flashed Orange a pearly white smile. Believing her, Orange returned it. "That's a girl! I don't like to see you down: it pretty much has an effect on all of us when you are."

Strawberry's smile faltered, the thought again registering in her mind that she was her friends' power outlet. When she was enthusiastic, they fed off her optimism and projected the same attitude in return, but in the moments when she was disconcerted, her mood impacted everyone. Someone had to lead and assure the girls that everything was going to be all right, and if she didn't fill that role, who would? She discovered that she couldn't allow herself to be upset in order keep the peace with her friends, so even though she was sick out of her mind with worry, she consumed an unhealthy overdose of sleep, and she began to undergo the itching infection of her cuts, she had to pretend that her life was nothing but smiles and gummy bears.

On the other hand, in all aspects she felt like a tattered rag, crumbled and beaten by its ruthless owners who thought nothing more than to spit and step on it, but in outward appearance she was a brilliant compass, polished with care and reflecting assurance to its inspectors through its accurate directions.

"You and the others don't have to worry about me. What I've been dealing with is nothing, really; I'm sure that I'll feel better once I adjust to these new surroundings."

"Positive?"

"Positive."

As a token of relief, Orange grinned, and it was that simple gesture that Strawberry desperately tried to evoke from her friends: a sign that they felt safe, secure, and most importantly, hopeful.

The two teenagers explored parts of Berry Big City that otherwise would have remained unknown to them had it not been for the handy virtual map they had installed on their phones. They passed shops, street corners, and more shops, but neither of the locations presented eager store owners who were looking to hire any new employees. The humid breeze clung to the girls' skin as a piece of tape would a sheet of paper, and the afternoon sun reached their throats and caused them to be exceptionally filled with thirst. The stores surrounding them had electric fans as their air conditioning, but Orange pointed to an interesting-looking hamburger restaurant that she supposed would provide a better cooling experience with its refreshing-looking beverages and outdoor ceiling fans. And so she and Strawberry trudged down the block in pursuit of this newfound location, avoiding the litter that trashed the walkways.

They sat at one of the few unoccupied tables posted along the outside of the building; the area in itself wasn't the ideal location to relax, but at the time what mattered most was having a shade from the never-ceasing heat. Almost as soon as they seated themselves, though, a teenaged boy who looked about three years their junior exited the building and entered the porch, notebook and pencil in hand.

"What can I get you ladies on this fine afternoon?" he asked, readying his writing hand.

Strawberry informed him that she didn't wish to order anything, for she needed to spare her money, but the boy insisted that orders were on the house for any newcomers to the well-established restaurant. She consented to iced water for she and Orange, and the boy went back inside and returned shortly afterwards with the two drinks.

When he did, however, another employee of _Berry Ben's Burgers _also exited, but she appeared to be getting fired. She held a single cardboard box, and a frog man with a wash towel slung over his shoulder shouted at her from the doorway.

"It's employees like you that give my restaurant such a bad name!" he shouted with hateful vehemence, and the young girl wiped her eyes and backed away.

"Aw man, he can't have fired Clementine!" The waiter jogged to the scene, and Strawberry and Orange watched him to get an idea as to what was going on.

According to the boss and his movements, the girl deemed Clementine had indeed been laid off, and the frog man placed a _now hiring _sign in one of the glass windows.

Strawberry jumped from her seat, wasting her drink in the process; this was her chance, her one opportunity to go ahead and get a job to start receiving a pay check to go towards the growing expenses of her home. She felt sorry for the girl who'd just been laid off, but she had more important matters on her hands.

She sprinted to the entrance, Orange warily trailing her, and she managed to reach the owner before he returned to the kitchen. "I would like to apply for a job!" she abruptly proclaimed, and he turned around, thus causing the crease in his already wrinkled forehead to deepen.

"Excuse me?"

"I wish to earn a position in your restaurant, sir."

"I'm going to need to see some paperwork before I can just hire you." He wiped his perspiring face with the rag.

"I don't have a résumé prepared, but I assure you that I'm fit for the job - I've been baking for years."

The employer sighed as a fresh set of customers flooded his business. He looked back at Strawberry: the girl appeared trustworthy, and with the radiance she gave off, she was sure to bring in more profits for his business. "Oh, all right, but I need to see an application before I can give you a permanent position. Quince, give her a quick tour of the kitchen so she can get started. And miss, grab that apron off the counter and put it on," concluded the boss, and he disappeared into the back.

Quince led her to the hidden kitchen. "Well, that was sudden. So what's your name?"

"It's Strawberry. Strawberry Shortcake."

"Nice to meet you, Strawberry. My name's Quince Watercress, but as your new fellow co-worker, you can just call me Quince."

"It's nice to meet you then, Quince. How long have you been working here?"

"I initially started last year as a summer job, but I decided to come back this year so I can have a little extra cash in my pocket."

Strawberry nodded in response, then placed her hand on the counter. "So who is Clementine?"

"One of my friends from school. I thought it would be an awesome idea for us to work at the same place, so I was like 'hey, Clem, you should totally work at _Berry Ben's Burgers_,' but I guess I shouldn't have pressured her."

"What happened?"

"My boss hated her because she didn't keep up with her tasks, and the customers complained. But hey - I guess it was meant to be, 'cause you're here now, right?"

"Yeah, perhaps..."

Quince glided his hand across the surface of the counter. "I think it would be great to own a place like this one day. She's a beaut, isn't she?"

Strawberry scanned the area. Aside from the filthy refrigerator and dingy appliances, the restaurant was pretty decent.

"Um, sure it is. You look like you're a committed worker, so I'm sure that you can have a restaurant like this or better if you believe in yourself."

"You really think so? How can you tell?"

"Just trust me on this one." She wasn't lying, for the instinct to predict that was there, but she just didn't know how. When she was younger, she thought she remembered Princess Berrykin telling her that she had a gift for that sort of thing, to be able to sense things that hadn't happened yet, but she wasn't certain if she was just intuitive or if she really had a special ability. However, most of it came in dreams.

He cocked his head to the side. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Um... how do you know?"

"Just by how polite you are; your accent is different, too."

"Oh. I didn't think I spoke any differently from anyone else."

"Yeah, it's pretty evident." He mimicked how some of the Berry Big City citizens spoke, over-emphasizing syllables and dramatizing most of his words, which made Strawberry laugh.

"Okay, okay, I think we should get started with the tour before the owner catches us."

Quince pointed to multiple corners of the kitchen, giving a brief description of each. "Okay, so the hamburger patties are in the freezer over there, and the fries and buns are stored in that pantry in the corner. Condiments are in the cabinets, and you should grab dishes from the racks right there. Got it?"

"I think so," Strawberry replied, tying her hair into a messy bun.

"I guess you're all set, then. You are familiar with cooking fast food, aren't you?"

"I believe I am."

Strawberry grabbed a handful of frozen patties and placed them on the grill, and within an instant, he already had to correct her. He informed her that she first needed to coat the food in a thick layer of grease that gave it its "trademark taste," and directed her to basically soak everything in the fatty liquid before she cooked it. Strawberry was utterly disgusted by the procedure and had vowed to never eat fast food again, but she had to fight the urge to cook in her own techniques if she were to keep this newfound job of hers.

The food came out looking delicious yet inwardly disgusting, but Strawberry was proud of herself in that she managed to keep up with the ever growing number of customers that came through the doors. Surprisingly, she allowed herself to relax for the first time in months, and she could feel the difference it made both physically and mentally. Perhaps things _were _going to turn out for the better; she sensed that they would, and she smiled to herself as she washed the food particles off her hands and arms.

* * *

><p>Orange Blossom stuck her hands in her capri pants pockets. Since Strawberry had gotten a job at the restaurant, she didn't know what to do with herself and eventually just decided to leave. And after walking all that way back to the street of their complex, she found herself trying to obtain a job at the convenience store, which wasn't what she wanted to pursue, but managing a store was one of the few things she was ever good at. Well, unless extreme pogo-sticking counted.<p>

So there she was, waiting for the manager to come out the supply room and looking at air fresheners to pass the time.

"I don't think she'll like that scent," said a voice a few feet away, but she didn't look to see who it was.

"She'll probably like the smell of a freshly mowed lawn, then. Or baby's breath?" spoke another voice.

Orange crinkled her nose in disgust. Obviously the two strangers weren't very familiar with choosing the right air freshener scents. Out of instinct, she picked up a handful of them and handed them to the individuals when she heard one of them mention something about vanilla salt.

"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation; these scents should suffice if you're looking for something with a pleasant smell," she explained.

"Well, thank you, miss," said the first one, and he and his partner went to the checkout aisle.

As they left, Orange turned her attention back to the doors of the supply room, but the manager still hadn't returned. She checked her watch: it was past two, and she had already lollygagged through the entire store in the forty-five minutes that she'd been waiting around. When the employer still didn't come to meet her after another five minutes, she grew impatient and decided to leave the store.

She was about to cross the street when she spotted the same two people she'd helped just a little distance off, both of whom seemed to be waiting for her. The road was clear and she began to cross it as quickly as she could, but they jogged towards her and stopped her.

"Miss, wait!"

She glanced over her shoulder. "Y-yes?"

"There's someone who wants to meet you." The one who'd spoken looped his arm around hers and led her to a limousine parked beside the street; she was wary as to what was going on but had consented.

A glossy black window rolled downwards, and someone peeked her head through the opening.

"Hello, dear," she said, and Orange became aghast.

Princess Beatrice opened the door and extended her hand to Orange.


	10. A Vile Mistake

**Happy New Year! A new year means a new chapter, so I hope you all like it! ~BlueVanilla79**

* * *

><p>Shielding her face with her hands and arms, she ducked to avoid the blinding flashes of the paparazzi's cameras, or rather, manipulators. The electric blue lights almost seemed to burn when they touched her skin, forcing upon her vision an obscured view that looked like that of an old film, skipping frames from here and there.<p>

"Smile, Cherry!"

"Cherry, over here!"

"Come on, Cherry, don't hide!"

These voices echoed in her ears, impossible to drown out. They were an avalanche, readying themselves to tackle her at any given moment; the incessant cries of fans were a broken siren, screaming out for an eternity.

This was the life that Cherry lived on a daily basis, only in different locations with different groups of people. The cycle was the same: wherever she went, no matter what time or place, these people would show up and plague her with their questions, worries, and unreasonable requests, and she would have to cope with this peskiness of theirs until she was able to safely escape to her car and attempt to secretly drive home.

And to be honest, she was tired of it all. Yes, having many supporters was very much a wonderful thing indeed, but the longer she stayed in the industry, she learned that being famous was more of a depressant than a stimulant. Some of the individuals who claimed that they were supportive of Cherry would be the masterminds behind whatever horrible rumor that was recently spread about her, and through a number of experiences, Cherry had learned this lesson the hard way.

Cherry was whisked inside the swivel doors by a set of hands that, shooing the on-lookers away, pulled her into a nearby elevator.

"Miss Jam, you have got to stop walking in public by yourself - it's much too dangerous!" said her publicist.

"That's why I wore a disguise this time, Vivianne."

"Well, it certainly didn't work."

Cherry looked down at her slacks: she'd put on a pair of yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt, not forgetting a pair of shades to conceal her eyes, yet the public still recognized her as the pop sensation Cherry Jam. Considering that she'd always cared about her appearance, she thought that she would look like a commoner in this new set of clothes.

"I thought it would," she replied, and Vivianne pressed the buttons on the keypad.

"Doll, I do hope that you remembered to bring a change of clothes."

Cherry felt her sides to make sure she'd worn her actual outfit underneath her camouflage; however, she felt nothing but bare skin and recalled that she was supposed to bring her other outfit with her from her car. She hadn't had time to because the obnoxious paparazzi had distracted her.

"Uh-oh," she managed.

Vivianne gently placed a hand to her forehead. "Oh my. Cherry, _really_?"

"Don't panic, I can fix this." Cherry removed her baseball cap and turned it forwards. "Better?" she asked, slightly giggling to herself. It wasn't like it mattered, anyway: she was going to last place that she wanted to be at the moment.

Her publicist rolled her eyes. "Oh Cherry, I've always wondered about you."

* * *

><p>She was led into the headquarters of the <em>Berry Glitz and Glamour <em>network, then welcomed by a long table of staff members who all acknowledged her with the cheesiest, most artificial welcomes that she'd ever seen. They bounced up and down in their seats with a considerable amount of enthusiasm, but she knew that it was all just an act. In actuality, they were probably some of the messiest people in the industry.

The head of the staff was a stout woman with a ginormous pair of glasses settling on the bridge of her nose who had applied more makeup than her face could handle. She dressed in all sorts of crazy colors and designs and had but a single earring in her ear, apparently to keep up with the latest trends, despite her age.

She shook Cherry's hand in all sincerity, and Cherry knew better than to trust her, but she returned a sly smile. She suddenly became glad that she experienced her little wardrobe malfunction, that she'd show up to the interview as if she'd cast her cares into a furnace. If she pretended that she was a complete slob and disrespected the board of members, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that her reality show would be cancelled, and she could be released from her boss's lingering threat.

"Welcome, Cherry! Please, take a seat."

Cherry sat at the very end of the meeting table, propping her feet on its surface and folding her arms behind her head. Attempting to make her audience flinch, she sniffed her armpit and scrunched her nose at its nonexistent odor. However, the chubby woman's smile only intensified.

"Cherry, I must say that we are most excited that you've finally decided to accept our offer. I must ask, what made you decide to change your mind?" asked the head, Rhonda Speckleberry.

"Yeah, well, I thought it would be a great way to make some more money, you know what I mean?" Cherry slouched more evidently and started picking with her toes after she removed her right shoe. Some of the other members appeared a bit sickend and dissatisfied with her answer, which was the response she'd hoped for.

Another of the members clasped her hands together. She cleared her throat. "Well... you certainly have a different persona when you're off stage, don't you, Cherry?"

"Sure thing. Everyone always sees me as this prim and proper pop star, but I think it's time that I reveal the real me, don't ya think?" she thickened her southern accent, intentionally replacing some of her words with slang. At that moment, she tapped her throat and managed to release a drawn out wet-sounding belch, which was such an awful noise that some of the staff scooted their swivel chairs away from her. She grinned with pleasure.

A clearing of someone else's throat echoed behind her shoulder, and she turned to see her boss looming over her with a death stare engraved upon his face, Vivianne, who stood by the door, doing the same.

Cherry internally cowered to herself: she had to admit to herself that she was sometimes terrified of her boss, who had the power to ban her from his company like a needle frays a thread. But now was the time that she had a say so in things, she mentally decided. It was time that she stood up to him, the individual she'd worked with nearly her entire career.

Mr. Pearce turned her chair so her legs would fall off the table, then took a seat to her left and placed his briefcase on the pine wood table. "I apologize for being late," he began. "Have I missed anything important?"

"No, no, not at all. I was just getting to know Cherry," replied Rhonda.

He cast Cherry another glare. "Yes, about that, I am _so _sorry if she's caused you any trouble. She's been under a lot of stress lately."

"No! There's no need for that! She is such a darling! Cherry, if we can just discuss a few legal matters, you're hired!" Rhonda clapped her plump, soft hands in delight, the friction of her bracelets creating a clinking noise.

Cherry raised her eyebrows in horror.

"You are absolutely perfect for the reality show, doll! A successful pop artist who has a side of her life that she hides from the public - _genius_!"

Mr. Pearce appeared relieved, but Cherry was mortified. What was supposed to be her trick on the company had a boomerang effect on her, and now she was the fool of the joke? Even after she acted like a pig and an idiot so she wouldn't get hired?

"No, I was lying to you! This isn't the real me, honest!" she cried, and removed the cap from her head.

"Even better! I can see it now: Cherry Jam, a proven liar. Dear, if you can just sign this contract and accept these conditions and our offer for your pay, I promise you that we will make your dreams come true."

Cherry was prepared to jump over the table and strangle that woman's short neck, but Mr. Pearce stopped her midway and placed his hand over her mouth while she shouted derogatory things. "She'll accept the offer!" he stated, but Cherry said otherwise through muffled hums.

A thick stack of papers slid towards her direction as well as a fountain pen, and after Cherry had regained control of her tongue and stopped screaming into her boss's hand, she was prompted to look over the information at hand.

She skimmed through all one hundred-something pages of the contract and wondered how in the world she was expected to read all of the fine print in its too-small-to-read writing, then flipped to the last page, which required her signature. Above the line was a negotiable set of numbers for her pay check, and they tempted her to go ahead and sign her name.

If she received _that much _just from shooting a television show, she'd have more than enough to pay her expenses and still have some left over to do what she pleased with it, even though that was just the minimum for her pay. _Perhaps a reality show isn't as bad as you __thought_, her mind told her. _After all, you can live your life to a much higher degree than you did before,_ _and all of that just for letting a few cameras follow you around? Come on, Cherry, have I not taught you better? Your friends will understand: they always do, and you know it. Go on, pick up the pen._

Cherry slowly picked up the fountain pen. The back of her mind told her the opposite of what the former told her, but she knew that if she didn't comply with the show, she would be fired and possibly wind up on the streets. And now that Berry Bitty City was gone, too, she couldn't go back to her old teaching job, although it didn't pay much to begin with.

With the fountain pen in her left hand, she hesitantly signed her name in the margin. The black ink dried with permanence, binding her to the contract. After giving her signature, Cherry felt indifferent about her current situation and her life as a whole. Had she really made the right decision, choosing fame and fortune over a normal life? No matter what she thought at the moment, there was no turning back for her at that point.

The staff clapped in unison, and Rhonda stood from her chair. "Congratulations, Cherry! The only thing left for you to do is to decide what you want to call your show, and we'll take care of the rest."

Cherry was passed a sheet of paper with a list of titles, and she circled the one that stood out to her the most: _Cherry's Jam_. She forced a half smile while the others continued to celebrate, but she couldn't help but wonder deep inside if her whole life was just a big mistake.

* * *

><p>The meeting concluded, and Cherry paced back to her car with Vivianne and Mr. Pearce when she was instantly attacked by paparazzi and half-crazed fans yet again. This time gossip reporters rushed in as well, nearly smashing their microphones into her face as they tried to nose into her business, but Cherry only replied to a couple of their questions with a simple "yes" or "no" because that's what she'd been trained to do.<p>

Cherry reached her prius and unlocked it while people continued to snap pictures of her from a distance.

"Cherry, I don't know what you were thinking with that little game you were playing, but it seemed to work," said Vivianne.

"Yes; what on earth were you thinking?" added Mr. Pearce.

Cherry paused. "I did what you wanted, so can you at least act happy about it?" she snapped, really not supplying a proper answer to either of their questions.

She started her engine and left the two of them standing on the side of the street.

* * *

><p>The car ride was a very long one. The arctic air conditioning froze Orange's skin, and through the pimply goosebumps and the persistent hiccuping, she fought with all her might not to scream for help.<p>

She tapped her foot and yanked on her seatbelt in a way that looked like she was choking herself inbetween involuntatrily hyperventilating, her chest going up and down, up and down. And all the while, the princess, or rather her captor, sat still with her posture perfectly aligning the back of her seat, her delicately aggressive hands folded across her lap. She still never ceased to keep her nose in an upturn to retain her pride, but the deadness of the air didn't seem to bother her.

How did she get herself into this mess? All she did was help those two men with product recommendations, and now she was suddenly the princess' prisoner?

She should've known to bite her tongue - she'd always had a problem for that sort of thing. While Strawberry was the strong, wise leader, Blueberry the brainiac, Lemon the artistically creative one, Plum the jokester, Raspberry the compassionate one, Cherry the charmer, and Huck, well, was just Huck, she felt that she didn't fit into a specific category. Or did she? Everyone always looked at her as the audacious one who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. That was it. She was outspoken, a bit too much for her liking, and she'd gotten herself into quite a bit of trouble because she couldn't control the impulse to always make a remark. To think that she wouldn't be in this situation had she not eavesdropped on those two security guards. However, how was she supposed to know that they were the princess' henchmen? She was only trying to help.

Her eyes became glassy and she now rocked back and forth, releasing a squeaky yelp.

"Goodness, child, calm down! You're acting like you're going to an execution!" Beatrice finally yelled.

Orange sat back, untangling the seatbelt from around her neck. "Sorry."

"It's quite all right."

Orange waited with impatience for the princess to explain why she had to be subjected to going on a car ride with her, but Beatrice only resumed her previous activity of sitting back in her seat while casually observing the city through her window. Orange turned away and prayed that whatever she was being called for was for good reason, but if the princess herself issued a meeting with her, she couldn't help but think that the outcome wouldn't be good.

Feeling her weight shifting backwards, she raised her head to discover that the limousine drove onto a long, winding path that only spiraled upwards and past those dreadful iron gates that she'd hoped she never had to re-enter.

The princess' palace? What kind of trouble was she in if Beatrice chose her home, of all locations, to take her? Whatever the reason, she did not have a good feeling about it.

The driver parked the vehicle under a bamboo awning, and just as Beatrice had extended her hand to Orange prior to her initial invitation to talk with her, she performed the same action in which she led her out of the limousine. In fact, it was more of a forceful gesture than a choice; when the princess initially invited Orange after she'd exited the general store, Orange came up with an excuse so she wouldn't have to go, but upon Beatrice's orders, she was forced to climb aboard against her will. And now a half-hour later, she was back at the estate that she'd just visited the other night, but she saw it in a different light this second time around. Most of the decorations from the birthday party were missing, and the daylight revealed parts of the estate that she hadn't noticed before.

Beatrice wove her arm around Orange's, and even though the princess wore sleeves, her skin felt like a popsicle, aiding in the goosebumps forming on Orange's arm.

She led her along a stone pathway, her heels clacking against the ground as a row of staff lined the way and greeted her with a monotonous "Welcome home, your majesty". One of the butlers opened the door for the princess and her special guest, and in an instant, the bustling of several more employees occupied Orange's train of thought.

Berrykin maids vigorously scrubbed the marble floors with large sponges, wiping their brows in the process, while others of them scurried down the halls with fresh laundry and bathroom supplies. The taller of the workers gathered streamers off the floor and from the walls, and still a number of others handled the dishes, most of which they sterilized or threw into the trash. Vaccuum cleaners roared throughout the entire palace, blaring out any noise that could otherwise try to audibly compete.

The princess explained that they were still cleaning up after the party and stated that the process could sometimes extend to about a week, then motioned that Orange follow her up one of the four optional staircases to a little sitting area.

The palace was just as Strawberry had described it, Orange realized, with more chandeliers than one could count, expensive china in glass cabinets, and extravagant paintings by some of the most renowned artists to top everything off. It was quite an admirable home to live in, but didn't Beatrice grow lonely every now and then?

"The mansion was well-lit, but there were still those dark areas that the light couldn't reach," Strawberry had described once they'd returned home from the party. "And if you look closely, you'll notice an old painting of Beatrice and Princess Berrykin. Some of the colors are faded, but what strikes me as odd is that Princess Berrykin's face is scratched out of the picture, as if someone took a blade and stabbed her image until it wasn't there anymore." This particular detail sent horrible chills down Orange's spine, and while she tried her best to avoid looking into the crevices of the ceiling to spot that haunting painting, she found her eyes searching for it anyway. Apparently it was well-hidden, for she couldn't spot it at all.

The princess sat on the loveseat directly across from her with expectant eyes. Orange only blinked once, then staged a cough into her fist. She darted her face away from Beatrice, admiring the scenic views that lay beyond the window that replaced one of the walls, then took notice of a small pot of tulips sitting on the lamp table beside her. Most of their petals had withered away, and it made her sad, reminding her much of her deceased home when one of the petals hit the ash gray soil.

"So," the princess began, "I assume that it was out of place of me to bring you here so suddenly, but I can assure you that I did it with good intentions, so you can stop looking all tense, child."

Orange breathed a sigh of relief, her prayer answered, and managed to shift from her stiff position, but speech-wise, all she could muster was a stuttered "Okay" inbetween a hiccup. She always hiccuped when she was nervous, ever since she was very young.

Beatrice pursed her thin lips and studied her. "Why do you act so fearful of me, dear? I want to be your friend," she coaxingly said, but the sweet cornsyrup of her voice didn't convince Orange that she was being truthful. It was unlike Orange to act shy, but she brought her knees to her chest and hid half of her face with them, even though this action wasn't very proper of her to do in front of a ruler.

The princess sighed with irritation and shooed away a maid who questioned her about which curtains she wanted strung in the living room. "I'm most fortunate that you and your friends could come to my birthday party this year," she tried again, this time making the tone of her voice a little more realistic. "Did you have fun?"

Orange solemnly nodded.

"Good, then. Have you yet had your eighteenth birthday?"

"Uh, yes, your highness. I did back in May, actually." Orange retracted her knees some, though she clearly still exhibited an invisible shield of defense. Maybe Beatrice _was_ telling the truth; maybe she wasn't in trouble after all. "How were you able to keep up with my age after all these years?" she added.

"Do excuse me for that. The redhead must have told you about our little encounter the other night, has she not?"

"She did - erm, your majesty."

A smirk spread across Beatrice's narrow face. "Ah, I see. What else has she relayed to you?"

"She said that you knew us several years ago," Orange replied.

"That is correct; I recall seeing you when you were still down here," she placed her hand close to the floor, approximately a foot-and-a-half from the ground, "but _my_, how you have grown up since then. The years just seem to fly by." She motioned with her hand to create a swatting gesture to emphasize her point. "So tell me more about your home town. It must have changed significantly since I've last seen it."

Orange seemed to relax at the mention of Berry Bitty City, that is, when she thought only of the fond memories in the town that she shared with her friends, kindled with the daily adventures they shared in the quaint area. She couldn't quite put into words the way that it made her feel inside, that warm, fuzzy feeling that made her want to travel back in time to relive the excitement, the nostalgia.

She described to the princess in great detail what a typical day in Berry Bitty City was like, almost as if she were actually still there. Where every thing was placed in her store she relayed, the local post office being stationed in the back and the cash register sitting at a perfect forty-five degree angle. The joy that overcame her whenever her friends came to visit, who felt like sisters to her, and the tranquil evenings they'd spend together after they'd finished working, lying by the berry patch as the faint breeze tickled their eyelashes. The overall serenity and the sweet, crisp scent of the orchards and honeysuckle that were within the town, in high contrast to Berry Big City's foul odors and lack of sanitation. The fact that everyone cared for one another and that they could always turn to each other for help, no matter what the situation.

The princess leaned in closer as Orange spoke, gently folding her eyelids like she was experiencing what was described, like she wanted to partake in this paradise that Orange told her about. She seemed to calm and didn't think to interrupt once as Orange continued to speak, lasting for what seemed about a half hour.

But as Orange's story progressed and she advanced to the past year, her mood began to darken when she told Beatrice of the troubles that began to threaten the town and the lack of income as a result of them. She cut herself short after she'd mentioned having to move to Berry Big City, how their dreams had shattered concerning the saving of their town.

Beatrice sat up, clearly out of her trance now, and looked at Orange with newfound concern. She appeared worried, even if it was only the slightest bit, smoothing the tawny bangs covering her forehead and assuring herself that her tiara was still in tact. She seemed indecisive at first, but then she said, "Well, perhaps we can change that."

Orange perked up in her seat. "What do you mean?"

Beatrice pressed a buzzer on one of the bracelets on her wrist, Orange, who otherwise would have never been able to tell the device from an ordinary piece of jewelry, intently observing it. One of the guards from outside arrived within a matter of a few seconds.

"Yes, your highness?" he inquired.

"Take me to the chamber," she ordered.

The guard looked from the princess to Orange. "Are you sure, your majesty?" He didn't seem very trusting of Orange.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"What's going on?" Orange asked, alarmed, but Beatrice only shushed her, then tied a scarf around her eyes and instructed her to get the small plant from the side table.

* * *

><p>She could only feel the slippery floor beneath her and a pair of hands on her shoulders; aside from that, she was completely blinded and tried to trust her ears for a sense of direction.<p>

She heard more vaccuum cleaners and dusters as she passed, but eventually the noises seemed very distant, and she couldn't hear anything but the eerie echoes that trailed behind her.

Loud cellars opened and closed and she heard locks, keys, and alarm systems being disabled and reset until finally the firm hands on her shoulders who she assumed were Beatrice's halted her. Orange felt the hard knot on the back of her head being untied, and the shield that once blocked her vision was removed.

She had been led into a dark room with a single large spotlight inserted into the ceiling, and all else was blacked out except for the glowing security monitors and observation cameras.

Orange turned a full three hundred sixty degree circle before she asked, "Where am I?"

"You're here to see the Preservation Soil, dear," Beatrice simply stated, as if the matter wasn't a big deal.

In shock, Orange nearly dropped the plant she was holding but then remembered that it was there and dropped her jaw instead. "_The Preservation Soil_?!" she repeated, and stumbled a bit.

Beatrice nodded and directed her towards a huge glass case that was the size of a queen bed and as deep as a bathtub. The container was covered with a thick glass lid, and she guided Orange a few feet closer to the compartment and pointed downwards. Orange did just that, and when she did her eyes widened with such astonishment that she strained them.

A cerulean substance lay in the tub, but it wasn't just any typical substance; this one sparkled with what mimicked tiny gems, and a faint white glow emitted from it as a whole. It had the texture of garden soil, but it couldn't have been dirt - soil was _brown_, not blue. The dirt-like concoction spun on mills, falling over itself like mini ocean waves and back into the contents of the rest of the tub.

Orange began to press her hands on the glass after she'd sat the plant down, but the guard snatched her by her wrist. "Don't touch that - it'll burn your skin off."

Frightened, Orange pulled away. "Is this the soil?" she questioned the princess.

"Yes, indeed. Do you wish to see how it works?"

Orange eagerly nodded like a child.

With a remote-like device, the guard opened the lid of the tub, and the effects of the soil were all the more marvelous when he did. It hit Orange in the face with its bright beams, and suddenly she smelled a sort of fresh fragrance that she had never smelled in her life, one that couldn't be described. If an individual were to describe it, though, the scent would have been said to smell of freshly picked flowers and berries, some of a different kind, unknown to man.

Beatrice retrieved the deceased tulips and a very tiny measuring spoon and diligently dipped it into the majestic soil. She hardly scooped any of it out, and at last she poured the cooking utensil's contents all over the poor plant's dirt. At first nothing occurred except that it now had a shimmery essence about it, but then Orange really saw what took place. The brown, paper-looking leaves buried themselves beneath the surface of the soil, and replacing them were newly formed leaves that sprouted and already produced flower buds.

Orange was mesmerized, delicately stroking her fingertips over the new leaves to see if they were real. She looked over her shoulder and into Beatrice's eyes. "Why are you showing me this?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

The princess gave her a wily smile. "I thought I'd just do something nice."

Orange observed the plant once more. "Can I keep it?" she quietly pleaded.

"Why, of course not!" Beatrice's voice boomed. "Do you realize how much this plant is worth now that it has been restored?" She began to put the supplies away, ensuring that she didn't waste one speck of the soil, took the plant from her, and the protective cover was closed.

Orange frowned. Didn't Beatrice tell her right before she took her to the chamber that there was something she could do for Berry Bitty City? Or was she imagining things?

"Can't you give me just a _teensy_ bit of the soil, your highness? Just enough to save Berry Bitty City?" she persisted a second time.

"Why, for someone to take it from you while you're heading home? I don't think so."

Orange became frustrated, and it showed by the vein that rose just above her left eyebrow. "Don't you care that me and my friends and _your sister _have somewhere to live? If we can just return home-"

"Ha! If it weren't for my sister screwing things up, you wouldn't even call Berry Bitty City home."

Orange snarled. "_Your highness_-"

"I'll tell you what: if you can tell me what your name is, I _may _consider changing my mind."

Orange looked at her dumbly. _Of course she knew what her name was_. "That's easy. It's Orange Blossom," she replied.

Beatrice burst out laughing. "Oh, wow! I don't know who she thinks she's fooling with these games she's playing!"

Orange only stared at her. Was something wrong with her psychologically, or was that just her personality? The princess' rapid mood shifts threw her off track: she'd gone from calm to downright hysterical in a matter of minutes. Was that a normal thing for her?

The princess collected herself from her fit of laughter. Orange contorted her face in anger. "Why are you laughing at me? My name _is_ Orange Blossom. What's so funny about that?" she clarified.

"Yes, sure, of course it is," the princess suppressed a few last chuckles, and the sarcasm in her voice was apparent. "Just tell me one more thing: where is my sister currently stationed?" Her tone was serious now.

Orange looked horrified. As much as Beatrice complained about Princess Berrykin, why would she bother to tell her where she lived?

"I- I can't say," she replied.

"Ah, as I suspected. Not a word to utter from that mouth of yours, I see. Typical! Why do you expect me to share all of this sensitive information of mine when you can't even tell me something as simple as where my sister lives?"

Orange began to step backwards when the princess moved closer to her.

"You all are just the same. You're nosy and intrusive yet so weak when you're confronted. The redhead acted just as you are now at the party, refusing to speak one word to me, yet I found her snooping through my desk. That's why I don't fall for those deceitful tricks of yours; you're conniving little pests, just like you always were and destined to be. I pity you."

At this point, Orange was fuming. She discovered that Beatrice had an even shorter temper than she had, and that just served as fuel to ignite her own. Her tongue burned with rage: how dare she insult she and her friends like that, and after they'd just met? Despite how angry she was now, she had to tame the fire that burned inside her. However, she just couldn't control it anymore.

"You know what, your 'highness'? Maybe we act like that because we've heard of what a ruthless person you can be! I'll admit, I was afraid of you at first, but I'm not anymore!" The last part was clearly a lie, for she still cowered when Beatrice approached her.

"Who told you that I'm ruthless? Was it Princess Berrykin?" Beatrice gave Orange the hawk's eye like she had at the celebration, and she stole the answer from her mind: _yes_.

"I see. Felix, take her away, I wish to be left alone."

"As you wish, your highness."

Before Orange could get a word in edgewise, the scarf was roughly tied back over her face, and when she tried to struggle free of his grip, he slung her over his shoulder while she screamed and shouted herself hoarse.

* * *

><p>Sighing to herself, Blueberry tossed the thirtieth newspaper that she'd read that day onto a messy stack on the carpet. She'd been reading newspapers all day in search for a job, but none of them presented fields that would be easy for her to pursue. Most of them were too far away or just simply unrealistic, such as a volunteer sports announcer, and she did not have a strong enough voice to even bother applying.<p>

On the other hand, Lemon and Raspberry paced back and forth in the tight space with their cell phones, contacting every salon and boutique around their portion of the city. To their dismay, not one of the businesses were looking to hire any new employees, so they, too, were about ready to give up.

Plum stayed in the same spot all day, sitting hunched over her computer by the island.

Blueberry stood from the deflating inflatable couch and nearly tripped over the mess she'd made. "Plum, have you found anything yet?"

"No, not yet," said the girl with the purple ponytail.

Blueberry went behind her and peeked at the screen, but Plum had minimized it just in time. "Hey, you're not looking for jobs," Blueberry accused. She swatted Plum's hand off the mouse and retrieved the page. "Dance videos? Really, Plum? You need to focus!"

"I know, I know, but I just miss dance _so_ much. All of this job hunting is exhausting."

"You haven't even searched for anything."

"Exactly. Just watching other people do it makes my head hurt."

Blueberry was about to give another one of her detailed lectures on why people obtain occupations, but before she could, Strawberry entered the apartment. Her hair was in a matted bun and she was covered in food particles and condiments, but she appeared cheerful and, despite her filthy state, plopped onto the couch with a pleasant sigh.

Blueberry spun around. "Oh, so you found a job?"

"Yep, at a hamburger restaurant. It only pays minimum wage, and I haven't officially gotten hired yet, but it was exhilarating to be able to cook again." She nestled into one of the pillows like she was on a fluffy cloud. Even though she appeared to have been overworked, she was grateful to have the opporunity to do what she loved again, even if it wasn't exactly the style that was her forte.

Lemon stuck out her bottom lip. "Aw, lucky! Raspberry and I can't seem to get through to anybody."

"Hey, has anyone seen Cherry? I thought she said she'd stop by tonight," mentioned Raspberry.

"She changed her mind and said that she'll stop by tomorrow." Strawberry stood when she realized she was smudging the furniture. "But I haven't heard from Orange, though. The last time I saw her was after I'd gotten hired."

"Maybe her new employers love her so much that they quit their jobs and let her take over their business," Plum joked.

Before anyone could interject, the front door slowly creaked open, and Orange Blossom emerged, her eyes wide and never once blinking, her lips chapped. The girls jumped in a panic.

"Orange, what happened to you?!" Strawberry took her by her shoulders and led her to the couch. "Blueberry, fix her a glass of water."

Orange sat motionless, and when she accepted the water she only let it dribble down her chin.

"Orange, you have to tell us what happened," Strawberry sternly repeated.

"I-I saw it. The Preservation Soil. And now I think the princess hates me. I said some things I shouldn't have."

Strawberry slapped her face into her palms, releasing an exasperated moan.


End file.
